\u201cThe defendant saw a police unit and, without provocation, suddenly started to drive recklessly at high speeds<\/a>, overtaking other vehicles on the wrong side of the road,\u201d according to the summary of facts he agreed to. <\/p>\n He drove through Mt Roskill and Blockhouse Bay at speeds of up to 100km\/h, sometimes in zones with a 50km\/h speed limit. <\/p>\n \u201cThe defendant also proceeded through multiple red lights, driving on the wrong side of the road and on footpaths,\u201d documents state. <\/p>\n Police followed with lights and sirens and the Eagle helicopter also tracked the vehicle. <\/p>\n When he was spotted driving into the underground carpark at LynnMall, police anticipated he would try abandoning the vehicle and flee on foot. Some officers got out of their vehicle to continue the search. <\/p>\n \u201cThe defendant, seeing police staff, drove the stolen vehicle straight at a police officer to get away, forcing the officer to take evasive action to avoid being struck,\u201d the summary of facts states.<\/p>\n Wrong-way crash<\/p>\n Stanley continued to drive erratically as he entered the Southern Motorway, exited onto State Highway 2 toward Coromandel, then U-turned at Mangat\u0101whiri and headed back towards Auckland. He reached speeds of up to 165km\/h. <\/p>\n \u201cThe defendant, upon observing a marked police car at a cordon on the road shoulder of State Highway 2, drove his vehicle directly at the police vehicle, forcing the driver to take evasive action by driving into a ditch to avoid being struck,\u201d court documents state. <\/p>\n \u201cA police officer standing nearby also had to take similar evasive action.\u201d<\/p>\n The crash happened about 4km away from State Highway 1 at roughly 3pm, when an officer standing near the intersection of Pinnacle Hill Rd tried to stop Stanley with tyre spikes. <\/p>\n Stanley swerved into oncoming traffic in an attempt to avoid the spikes and \u201ccollided heavily\u201d with a Nissan travelling the opposite direction. <\/p>\n Both Stanley and the driver of the other vehicle were hospitalised. The woman suffered a broken sternum and large wounds to her forehead and hip that required stitches. <\/p>\n Stanley\u2019s injuries were minor, but a blood test taken at hospital showed him to have 120 nanograms of methamphetamine per millilitre of blood and 350 nanograms of ketamine. For both drugs, 50 nanograms is considered a high-risk level when driving. <\/p>\n Appalling history<\/p>\n The defendant pleaded guilty to six charges stemming from his driving that afternoon: reckless driving causing injury, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police and two counts of driving while impaired. <\/p>\n He also pleaded guilty to an incident just weeks prior to the chase in which his fingerprints were found on another stolen vehicle. <\/p>\n If Stanley\u2019s bid for the drug court is unsuccessful, he\u2019ll face up to five years\u2019 imprisonment for the causing injury charge and up to seven years for the car theft. <\/p>\n Judge Lummis pointed out that not only was his driving appalling that day, but so is his prior rap sheet for driving offences. <\/p>\n He has 20 convictions for unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle, nine convictions for driving recklessly or dangerously, another nine convictions for failing to stop for police and 16 convictions for driving while disqualified or unlicensed. <\/p>\n He also has several cannabis and methamphetamine-related charges on his record but surprisingly, the judge said, only one charge dating back over 20 years for driving while intoxicated. <\/p>\n Defence lawyer Charle Megala said there\u2019s no doubt Stanley\u2019s poor decision-making that day was related to his drug addiction, and said his client would be a good candidate for drug court despite his eligibility being \u201cby a fine margin\u201d due to the seriousness of the case. <\/p>\n \u201cThere is evidence of a willingness to accept rehabilitation,\u201d he said, explaining that his client had applied to Odyssey House rehab centre but was turned down because his brother is already there. <\/p>\n Stanley told the judge directly that he was inspired by the changes he had recently seen in his brother. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a different person,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u2018Don\u2019t blow it\u2019 <\/p>\n Judge Lummis asked for an assessment of Stanley\u2019s genuineness from his longtime on-again, off-again partner, whom the judge repeatedly referred to as \u201clong suffering\u201d due to the defendant\u2019s many run-ins with the law and prison stints. <\/p>\n She said the fact that Stanley is even considering rehab is a \u201cmajor turnaround\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cTwo years ago, talking about Odyssey House would be a no-go,\u201d she explained. \u201cThen I started seeing him make the effort.\u201d<\/p>\n She described Stanley as a good person who has made a series of wrong choices. <\/p>\n \u201cHe just needs to stop hanging around people who influence him to do stupid things,\u201d she said. \u201cI want the man I fell in love with…<\/p>\n \u201cHe knows he\u2019s done wrong. He knows he needs to change. It has been a journey.\u201d <\/p>\n The judge was moved enough by the assessment to allow Stanley\u2019s application to continue. <\/p>\n If necessary, she said, the case can return to her for sentencing. <\/p>\n \u201cBut let\u2019s hope you do make it and you can make this the turning point in your life,\u201d the judge added. \u201cIt\u2019s a hard journey… but I\u2019m encouraged to see the good behaviour you\u2019ve had since you\u2019ve been on bail.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t blow it now.\u201d<\/p>\nHakaraia Mana Stanley appears in Auckland District Court for sentencing. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
Hakaraia Stanley caused a head-on crash on State Highway 2 while trying to avoid police road spikes at the intersection of Pinnacle Hill Road. Photo \/ Google<\/p>\n
Judge Kirsten Lummis. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n