Teen turns life around

A Taranaki teenager involved in the carjacking of a woman and her 72-year-old mother, followed by a high speed chase with police, has turned his life around, a court heard.

Tremaine Hayes, 18, appeared before Judge Chris Sygrove in the New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday for sentencing on one charge of aggravated robbery.

The police stated that about 8pm on March 9, Hayes and three associates were walking along St Aubyn St, New Plymouth, when they approached a woman and asked her for a ride to town.

When she declined the group became verbally abusive before Hayes and an associate pulled blue bandanas over their faces, covering their mouths and noses, and dragged the woman’s mother, who was still wearing her seatbelt, out of the car.

One of the group jumped behind the wheel and they drove off.

About 8.30pm police spotted the car in Oakura and attempted to stop it, but the driver sped off and a chase began.

The pursuit continued along State Highway 45 for 33 minutes and covered 42 kilometres.

The driver reached speeds of more than 100kmh in a 50kmh zone and 120kmh in a 100kmh area.

Road spikes were used to deflate the car’s tyres but the driver continued on the rims.

Police were able to box the car in and bring the chase to an end in Ra¯hotu where the group was arrested.

Defence lawyer Jo Woodcock said Tremaine had been on very restrictive bail conditions since his arrest and despite difficult family conditions had maintained perfect compliance.

Woodcock said he had completed his level two NCEA last year and wanted to continue his education and work towards employment opportunities.

She sought a sentence of home detention. Sygrove said he accepted Tremaine was genuinely remorseful for his actions and what had taken place on the night.

Prison was a breeding ground for crime and could be a crushing place for the young, Sygrove said.

His started with a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment which was reduced to 22 months and then transferred to 11 months’ home detention.

Tremaine will also have special release conditions imposed on him for six months after his sentence ends.