Joshua Sinclair Hair (28) appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week more than seven months after the drug-fuelled incident.
His mother, who was in the public gallery for the sentencing hearing, had permanently moved back from Queensland to support him, the court heard.
Anne Stevens said her client had managed to hold down a job as a fisherman while addicted to methamphetamine.
"It's more than a drug problem, it's a curse," she said.
On October 31, it came to the fore. Hair drove to a house in Waitahuna.
When one of the residents saw his headlights, she went out and told the defendant her friend was not home.
"One of you has to have destroyed my life and you're going to pay," Hair said.
He demanded the woman come back with money or bank cards.
She complied, bringing him two credit cards.
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said although Hair did not leave his car, the robbery was made more serious by the fact there were five children sleeping at the property.
At 11.20pm, police saw the defendant in his Mazda and pursued.
When Hair pulled over, the officer used his PA system to direct the man to open his window and show his hands.
Instead, the driver sped off.
Hair reached speeds of 170kmh and police pulled back because of safety concerns.
Two hours later, he was seen again, stopped near Lake Waihola.
Police repeated the request for him to surrender, and got the same response.
Hair shot off at 140kmh and was not deterred by another patrol car blocking the road.
He drove up a sloping embankment, narrowly missing the vehicle, and accelerated north on State Highway 1.
But after 18km, Hair came to an enforced standstill when his car broke down in Momona.
In the Mazda, officers found 524 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition and a wood-handled tomahawk under the passenger seat, along with 13g of cannabis.
When spoken to, Hair was "unco-operative and abusive".
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said the dangerous incident was nothing new for the defendant, who had two previous dangerous police chases among his criminal history.
Judge Kevin Phillips said Hair had been industrious in his rehabilitation efforts while behind bars but "it comes a little bit too late".
"There can be but one outcome," he said.
Hair was incarcerated for two years one month and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
