A Dunedin man who caused a crash that killed his daughter is back in court after being involved in a police chase.
Justice David Richardson-King, 30, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after earlier pleading guilty to disqualified driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop, unlawfully taking a vehicle, unlawfully getting into a vehicle and breaching the search and surveillance act.
The court heard that on June 13, police were on Hillside Rd and noticed a car at a petrol station with no registration plates.
As police pulled in, Richardson-King drove out of the forecourt.
Police followed and activated their lights and sirens, but the defendant did not stop.
His vehicle appeared to be suffering mechanical issues and could not go faster than 40kmh, the police summary said.
The defendant then proceeded to go around the Hillside Rd roundabout the wrong way.
Due to Richardson-King’s manner of driving, police abandoned the chase.
The chase meant the defendant racked up his ninth charge for disqualified driving, and fifth for failing to stop.
This week, counsel Andy Belcher said the offending showed the defendant had poor impulse control and his client was "really disappointed with himself".
"He is quite a skilled mechanic and it’s a great shame that he can’t get on and do something with it," Mr Belcher said.
He said while driving was still a problem for Richardson-King, he was no longer abusing substances.
Judge Jane Farish agreed.
"The only reason why you keep on coming back here is because you can’t stop driving," she said.
"You’re an intelligent man, you’re 30 years of age and a lot of your adult life has been wasted in jail."
She described the defendant’s attempt to flee from police as "pretty unsuccessful".
Judge Farish sentenced Richardson-King to 17 months’ imprisonment with leave to apply for home detention and disqualified him from driving for three years.
"I get the impression that you might be getting a bit sick of jail now anyway," the judge said.
In 2016, Stuff reported that Richardson-King admitted careless driving causing the death of his six-year-old daughter and careless driving causing injury.
At the time, the defendant was 21 and had only ever held a learners drivers licence.
He drove on Old Coach Rd at about 110kmh in raining conditions, Stuff reported.
South of Ferndale, he approached a corner, tapped the brakes, slid, lost control of the vehicle and slid along a bank, hitting a power pole with such force that it broke in two.
His daughter lost an arm and suffered a head injury in the crash; she was taken to hospital, but died 12 days later.
