Drunk driver charged over rampage

File photo / NZ Herald

As police attempted to stop Wipuhara Kapene, he drove off reaching speeds in excess of 100km/h in a residential street, almost collided with a taxi, then finally crashed into a give way sign.

He abandoned the car and fled from police.

The 18-year-old was caught a short time later and refused to give a blood sample when suspected of drink driving.

Appearing before Judge Barbara Morris in Masterton District Court recently for a case review, Kapene pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while suspended, refusing blood and theft of a bottle of alcohol from Liquor Land worth $40.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson said just after 1am on Sunday September 28, Kapene was driving on Chapel St when police saw him mount the roundabout outside McDonalds and tried to stop him. Kapene then headed along Church St driving at speeds of up to 80km/h.

Mr Wilson said as he turned left onto Colombo Rd, Kapene almost lost control of the car but sped off north, nearly colliding with a taxi outside the rugby club rooms.

Reaching speeds of between 100km/h and 137km/h, Kapene lost control of the car at the corner of Te Ore Ore Rd, mounted the traffic island, slammed into a give way sign and knocked it over, which caused the front left tyre to deflate.

Despite this, Kapene sped away from police and turned into the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl before he abandoned the car and ran along the riverbank towards Colombo Rd where he was caught.

Mr Wilson said he smelt strongly of alcohol when arrested but refused to provide blood for alcohol screening.

Lawyer Virginia Pearson said her client, a young father, was in the grip of addiction.

His family and partner were to support him. He has been in custody since his arrest and they wanted him home, she said.

Judge Morris said Kapene was in charge of his own destiny as she remanded him on bail with a 24-hour curfew unless in the company of an approved adult.

He is not to drink or drive and, if caught, he was "writing his own story; a direct track back to jail", she said.

Kapene has been remanded for a pre-sentence report and sentencing on December 8.