High speed chase in Wairarapa

SPEEDSTER: Police had to abandon pursuit of Calvin Zabell because of speed, but got him on a second night after he ended up in a ditch.

Driving at speeds more than 50km above the posted speed limit with two teenagers in his car, Calvin Charles Zabell crashed into a ditch while doing a u-turn in front of police - the night after they had already called off chasing the car because its speed was too dangerous.

As he tried to escape chasing police in Carterton, the 21-year-old turned his lights off while speeding along rural roads.

Zabell pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police and receiving a stolen BMW car worth $5000 when he appeared before Judge Barbara Morris in Masterton District Court last week.

Defence lawyer Ian Hard said Zabell bought the car on Trade Me and didn't know it had been stolen. His client pleaded guilty because he knew it "was a deal too good to be true".

Police prosecutor Gary Wilson said that on January 6 about 10pm, police saw the stolen BMW car in Carterton and turned on flashing lights to stop the driver and a high-speed chase followed.

The chase was abandoned near the service station on Te Ore Ore Rd as speeds being reached were becoming too dangerous to pursue the driver, Mr Wilson said.

"The driver was driving 108km in a 50km area."

Police kept an eye out for the vehicle, and the next night the car was spotted at Carterton on State Highway 2.

Officers turned on the flashing lights again, another high speed chase followed which again became dangerous for other road users.

During the pursuit, Zabell turned off the car's lights to try to evade police, the court heard.

"He did not stop," the prosecutor said.

"He was driving on rural and the state highway at speeds of more than 50km above the speed limit ... he turned his lights off ... driving at 140km on the State Highway he drove into a ditch as he tried to do a u-turn."

When arrested at the scene, Zabell had two 15-year-old passengers in the car with him, Mr Wilson said.

Mr Hard said Zabell accepted his speed was "excessive".

"He was in and out of country roads ... there was not necessarily other people around at the time. It could have been disastrous though," he said.

He asked the court to look at a community-based sentenced for Zabell so he could address addiction issues.

"He is a young man who wishes to get on with his life ... he's looking for work and to rehabilitate himself ... he does not have the worst record in the world."

Mr Wilson, however, said the desirable outcome to protect the community was a prison sentence.

"For public safety imprisonment is desirable ... the public is at risk."

Judge Morris said the best thing for Zabell to do was to address his addiction problems.

She remanded Zabell in custody for a pre-sentence report and sentencing on February 3.