Mental patient takes boy on terrifying ride

A mental health patient took a 10-year-old boy for a terrifying ride after stealing a car with him asleep inside.

The man, an inpatient at a Northland mental health unit at Wellsford, was granted an hour's leave on Friday to have tea with his father, but ran off and headed for Auckland.

He stole the Mitsubishi Pajero parked outside a Wellsford cafe about 11pm, unaware Kayle Smith-Kinzett was in the back.

The boy woke up and asked to be let out, but the man refused to stop. Police were called and the pursuit covered 30km over 10 minutes. The man was caught at Orewa, north of Auckland, after police used road spikes to puncture his vehicle's tyres.

Police said Kayle was shaken but unharmed.

Kayle's grandfather, John Kinzett, told the Sunday Star Times that said the ordeal had been terrifying for Kayle's father, who was running down the streets of Wellsford hoping Kayle had been dropped off.

But Kayle was matter of fact about the adventure.

"He's just one of those types of kids who would sit there and do what he's told and wait to run."

He praised police for their response, but was angry a mental health patient was out on his own that late at night.

"A mental health patient is unstable. That's the crux of the whole thing. They're unstable regardless of who they are, what they are, or where they are. They should not be allowed out unsupervised at any time."

Two high-profile incidents have involved mental health patients in the past month. On November 28, a man went on a lunchtime rampage in west Auckland, fatally stabbing passerby Kevan Newman and injuring two other men. The 34-year-old charged in relation to the stabbings had been under the care of mental health services for 13 years. Two days later, Nicholas Robert Clarke, 36, who had received mental health care from the West Coast District Health Board, allegedly attacked a man with an axe near Arthur's Pass.

Northland health clinical director of psychiatry Dr Gloria Johnson said the man in Friday's incident had been an inpatient for 11 days. He had no history of violence to people, but had caused property damage.

He had been well-behaved and was granted leave for an hour on Friday to have tea with his father.

The man appeared in Takapuna District Court yesterday morning charged with abduction, unlawfully taking a vehicle, reckless driving, and failing to stop for police.

He was remanded in custody and will reappear in court tomorrow.

- NZPA