Junior Paul Pule, 33, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, where his turbulent two months were revealed.
In November last year, Pule was sentenced over a vicious attack on prison guards at the Otago Corrections Facility.
Because of the time he had spent behind bars he was sent to a residential rehabilitation facility but the court heard it was only weeks before he was off the rails again.
On January 2, Pule was spotted by police swerving along Bank St.
When they tried to pull him over, he accelerated, weaving through traffic to get away from the pursuing officers.
Police found the Mazda the defendant had been driving just 1.2km away, crashed into building in Albany St.
Pule had fled the scene but in his rush to evade arrest, he left behind a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun.
There could be no question of his possession of the weapon since forensic examination of a phone — also found in the car — turned up photos and video of him brandishing it that day.
Ten days later Pule was admitted to hospital, where he admitted using alcohol and cannabis, both breaches of his sentence.
He had also painted his electronic tracker.
After a couple of days on the ward, it emerged he had been told to leave rehabilitation over suspected meth use, but before he could be apprehended he left the hospital for some ‘‘fresh air’’ and never returned.
Two months on the run came to an explosive climax on March 3.
Police finally caught up with Pule in Neidpath Rd, where he had been driving a vehicle which had been reported stolen in Oamaru.
On seeing the officers, he fled and shouted that he would shoot them, the court heard.
There followed an eight-hour stand-off during which Pule flashed a pistol he had stashed in his waistband.
When he eventually gave himself up, the firearm was found to be an imitation, but there was a cache of other weapons in the stolen car.
Stashed in the driver’s door area were a .308 calibre rifle, a knife, cleaver, hatchet and two clubs.
Judge David Robinson accepted one of the firearms in Pule’s possession may not have been operable, and there was no ammunition with them, but considered it ‘‘serious’’.
The court heard the defendant had weapons convictions from Australia and an armed robbery to his name.
Pule, who pleaded guilty to nine charges, was assessed as at a high risk of reoffending and Probation noted his lack of prosocial support in the country since being deported.
As well as the prison term, he was banned from driving for six months.
