Drunken rampage on the road ends in Whanganui District Court appearance

Paulie Kauri challenged a police officer to a fight before running away and later being arrested at a nearby property. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Whanganui man was drunk when he got into a vehicle on Parsons St and began tearing up the road.

Paulie Hilton Kauri got his tyres spinning doing a burnout down the road in Springvale and then began speeding around the surrounding streets.

Kauri was speeding so quickly into a turn that he hit the kerb and the force of the collision tore the right rear wheel off, leaving only the stub and part of the brake.

Despite this, Kauri continued driving with the axle ripping out pieces of the road until residents left their homes to see what the noise was.

"A member of the public confronted the defendant, the defendant got out of the vehicle, took off his top and chased the member down the street," police prosecutor Stephen Butler said when Kauri appeared in Whanganui District Court for sentencing on Tuesday.

"Police arrived and the defendant challenged the officer to a fight before running off into the dark. The defendant was located at a nearby property. The defendant admitted he had been violent, but offered no explanation for what he did."

Kauri pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle causing sustained loss of traction, having breath alcohol over 400 mcgs and being an unlicensed driver who failed to comply with prohibition.

Judge Dugald Matheson sentenced Kauri to 80 hours' community work which was cumulative on 250 he had outstanding and he was also disqualified from driving for eight months.