Prison sentence before the plane
A man who took part in an attempted dairy robbery before going on a high-speed police chase may be deported.
But no matter where he ends up, Kadeen Chard has alcohol and drug problems that need sorting.
He was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday to 23 months’ jail for his offending on May 18, 2018.
Chard was picked up from Ka¯ piti by his co-offender, who was driving a car stolen the previous day in Wellington. The car was obviously stolen.
The steering column and ignition barrel were broken, and a child’s booster seat was in the back.
The pair travelled north to Foxton and stopped outside the Busy Bee Dairy on State Highway 1.
Chard moved into the driver’s seat while his co-offender stormed into the dairy wearing a disguise and armed with a knife. The shopkeeper did not comply with his demands, so he left and jumped back in the car. Police tried to pull the car over near Levin, but Chard slammed on the gas, getting up to 150kmh in a 70kmh zone.
The car was spiked at O¯ taki, but Chard kept driving, turning towards O¯ taki Beach. They ditched the car and Chard was found soon after, with a glass smasher.
Defence lawyer Simon Hewson said a deportation order had been made against Chard, to send him to Africa, but he had appealed against it.
Judge Lance Rowe said Chard had 32 previous convictions for dishonesty, mostly for unlawfully taking vehicles. He also had convictions for failing to stop for police, and reckless and dangerous driving.
Chard had been sentenced the previous day for failing to stop for police, reckless driving and unlawfully getting into a vehicle, the judge said.
That also tempered the remorse expressed in letters Chard wrote.
The judge said pre-sentence reports painted a clear picture of Chard.
‘‘It seems to me ... a sober or clean Mr Chard is a very different person to a drug-filled or intoxicated Mr Chard.’’
Although Chard’s sentence was low enough to be turned into home detention, the judge said that would not have been an option due to his history.
‘‘Here you are again, placing the public at high risk.’’
Chard needed to kick his drug habit, no matter how tough that would be, if he wanted to get on the right path, the judge said.