A 19-year-old Dunedin man has admitted deliberately hitting a man with the car he was driving and dragging him more than 30m down George St.
Jade Taylor Tomkinson pleaded guilty in the Dunedin District Court yesterday to one charge of wounding with intent to injure and one charge of failing to stop after an accident causing injury.
The victim needed surgery on his hip and leg as well as skin grafts for grazing to his upper back as a result of the incident on July 26.
He was struck by the car travelling about 30kmh and, after initially holding on to the bonnet, was pulled under the vehicle as Tomkinson continued to drive at speed, a summary of facts said.
When questioned later by police, Tomkinson admitted drinking 14 Woodstock RTDs before the incident.
Tomkinson and three friends had been driving down Princes St, Dunedin, about 2.25am when one of them threw a bottle at the victim and another man, the summary said.
The two men followed the vehicle as it drove off through town.
The driver then pulled up beside the men at the intersection of George St and Moray Pl, before getting out and becoming involved in a fight with them.
After the fight stopped, Tomkinson, who had been in the passenger's seat, got into the driver's seat and struck the victim on the footpath, the summary said.
He was dragged 31m before Tomkinson stopped and reversed.
He then got back in the passenger's seat and the youths drove away.
The vehicle was found by police a short time later.
Tomkinson later told police he should not have been driving and and was trying to break up the fight his brother was involved in.
The victim suffered a 12cm cut to his left hip and is expected to need further surgery on it.
Judge Dominic Flatley declined bail for Tomkinson and remanded him in custody until January 22.
He was given a ''three strikes'' warning for the charge of wounding with intent to injure.
