Man who fled police goes to jail

A Christchurch man raced up a oneway street, crashed through a fence and tried to break into a house in an attempt to escape police.

Teaahu Reti, 47, was sentenced by the Christchurch District Court on Thursday to imprisonment for nine months and three weeks on multiple charges, including three of failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, possession of morphine, failing to attend court, breach of release conditions, assault on a person in a family relationship, refusing to provide a blood specimen and wilful damage for smashing a window. Some of the charges relate to an incident on June 21 when Reti was seen driving up to 90kmh in the city.

Police signalled for him to stop but Reti tried to flee. He crashed through a construction fence, then a house fence in Jollie St, Linwood, and jumped out of the car while it was still moving. The car crashed to a stop and Reti ran off but was found nearby by a police dog. He gave police a false name.

Reti was remanded on bail for sentence in November but absconded and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

Police saw him driving in Kilmore St on November 17 but he sped off again with police in pursuit.

The chase was abandoned after Reti drove on the footpath in Oxford Tce and drove the wrong way along the one-way Barbadoes St.

Police spotted him again before the vehicle ran out of petrol and came to a stop at the intersection of Main North and Northcote roads.

Reti ran off again and climbed a fence into a residential property, then broke a window to try to get inside the house. He could not get in and hid on the property until police found him. Reti told police he did not stop because he knew there was a warrant for his arrest and he did not want to go back to jail.

The court also disqualified Reti from driving for two years and nine months.