A man arrested after a high-speed chase which began shortly after he committed a robbery has admitted the robbery, nine associated charges, and two charges of breaching prison release conditions.
Appearing by audiovisual link, Joshua Sinclair Hair (27), fisherman, entered his pleas in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
Judge Dominic Flatley gave him a three strikes warning on the robbery and remanded him in custody for sentence on May 16.
The nine other charges were failing to stop for police, failing to remain stopped for police, possessing an offensive weapon, disqualified driving, dangerous driving (2), unlawfully carrying ammunition, possessing cannabis and refusing a blood specimen.
Judge Flatley remanded him for sentence on May 16.
The fact summary, from Crown prosecutor Richard Smith, said the robbery victims were associates of Hair.
Hair drove to the victims' Waitahuna address about 7.20pm on October 31.
The victims, and five children aged between 18 months and 12 years, were present. The children were in bed asleep.
One victim saw the lights of Hair's vehicle and walked to the driver side of his car. Hair asked for the other victim and was told she was not there.
Hair said ``one of you has to have destroyed my life and you're going to pay.''
He told the victim to go and get some money and some cards or he would wait for the other person to come back.
The victim went inside and got her debit cards and gave them to him.
He then told her they should keep their mouths shut or he would come back, and he would hate for the victim's horses to be around. He left and the victim telephoned police.
The other victim then received a phone call from a male she did not recognise, asking her to send through the PINs or Hair would come back.
About 11.20pm, police noticed Hair driving in Milton.
Hair stopped for the patrol car's blue and red lights.
The officer positioned himself to use the PA system, directing Hair open his window and place his hands outside.
Hair started his vehicle and immediately accelerated away.
A pursuit followed. Hair reached speeds up to 170kmh.
The officer abandoned the pursuit for safety reasons.
About 1.25am, another police patrol located Hair sitting in his stationary vehicle in Titri Rd, near Lake Waihola.
An appeal was made for him to show his hands. But he immediately drove off, fleeing from the patrol car's red and blue flashing lights and reaching up to 140kmh on Titri Rd.
Approaching a police car blocking the end of the road near State Highway 1, Hair drove on to a sloping embankment, narrowly missing the patrol car.
On State Highway 1 he drove at speeds up to 140kmh.
After about 18km, because of mechanical problems, his vehicle stopped on Centre Rd, near Momona, and he was arrested.
Inside his vehicle were the two bank cards, 524 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition and a wooden-handled tomahawk under the front passenger seat.
Police also found 13.7g of cannabis.
Hair was unco-operative and abusive. He admitted having consumed cannabis before driving.
He was unco-operative when a compulsory impairment test was initiated. And he refused to provide a specimen of blood.
