A 20-year-old Wairarapa man who turned off his car lights and sped away from police in the dark through residential streets has been told his behaviour could have easily resulted in a death.
But Benjamin Robert Goodley, who sped through Masterton streets at high speed about 11.30pm on November 7 won't be trying to evade police for the next nine months - he's been disqualified from driving. Appearing before Judge Jan Kelly in Masterton District Court recently, the Martinborough wool presser pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Jodie Lawrence said Goodley was driving a Subaru Legacy on Clyde St on the November night when a police patrol tried to stop him. He "accelerated" away turning into Johnstone St and then Makora Rd where police saw he had turned off his headlights to avoid detection, Ms Lawrence said. Followed by pursuing police, Goodley continued travelling at "high speed" braking heavily on bends and swerving across the road, she said. "It was evident the driver was attempting to flee."
Police eventually stopped Goodley on the corner of Colombo Rd and Andrew St and arrested him. In explanation for his actions, he said he had recently bought the car from a friend and wasn't sure of its warrant of fitness or registration status.
Lawyer Virginia Pearson said her client denies swerving across the road as he tried to flee police and while he had travelled "some distance" after turning his car lights off, he did turn the lights back on. "He thinks he was going about 70km."
