Speeding teen was 'having a bad day'

Wipuhara Kapene, 17, drove at three times the speed limit on an urban road.

Kicked out of home and "having a bad day" Wipuhara Kapene drove at three times the speed limit on an urban road.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to dangerous driving before Judge Jill Moss in Masterton District Court on Thursday.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson told the court that just after 10pm on Thursday October 17, police recorded Kapene driving a Subaru on South Belt at a speed of 154km/h. The posted speed limit on the sealed road is 50km/h.

When stopped by police, Kapene told them he had just been kicked out of home and "was having a bad day", Mr Wilson told the court.

After the summary was read in court, Kapene said he thought he was travelling at 120km/h.

"I did not think I was going 154 kilometres. [Police] would not show me the speed," he said.

Judge Moss told Kapene it was irresponsible to drive at such speed, as he could have lost control and crashed into a power pole or even worse - he could have hit a pedestrian.

"Do you know how often people have been killed in the street because a car was going 50 kilometres an hour? Pedestrians get killed at 50 kilometres an hour. You are 100 per cent likely to kill someone at this speed. If you hit a power pole you reduce your chances of survival, if you are speeding."

Mr Wilson said he had attended many fatal crashes involving speed and power poles.

"You don't have to be travelling very fast," he said.

Judge Moss told Kapene if he was upset, he should not have got behind the wheel of a car.

"You are more likely to use your car as a weapon. Go for a run, it really does work," she said.

She sentenced Kapene to 40 hours' community work and disqualified him from driving for six months.