Ambulance joy rider sentenced
A man who smoked cannabis and whose ‘‘curiosity’’ was provoked in the moments before he stole an ambulance – and drove it over road spikes – has been disqualified from driving.
Dunedin man Clayton Tamakehu, 31, appeared in the Dunedin District Court for sentencing on charges of stealing an ambulance, dangerous driving, driving while forbidden and failing to stop.
‘‘The vehicle was basically destroyed,’’ Judge Kevin Phillips said.
Tamakehu was disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to undertake intensive supervision for 18 months and 150 hours of community work, and to pay $3052 in reparations..
The incident unfolded outside a house on Wesley St, South Dunedin, on February 25.
Tamakehu’s lawyer, Andrew Dawson, said his client smoked cannabis prior to the incident, and that the ambulance provoked ‘‘some curiosity’’. He then made a ‘‘bad decision’’ and took it.
Tamakehu felt ashamed and embarrassed over the incident.
The court heard he suffered a significant brain injury in a motor vehicle crash in 2014, and had previously been deemed not fit to plead.
Police said GPS was used to track the ambulance, which police stopped in the Waihola area – about 40 kilometres away – using road spikes.
Court documents say the Mercedes ambulance was worth $220,000
After the incident, St John Southland district operations manager Pauline Buchanan said paramedics were treating a patient at a residential property when their ambulance was stolen.
‘‘It is reprehensible that while our ambulance officers were providing essential clinical care to a patient someone would steal their ambulance,’’ she said.
‘‘There was complete disregard for the consequences of their actions and for the patient they were caring for.
‘‘It is fortunate that the patient was able to be treated at the scene and did not require transportation and there were no further calls for ambulance assistance during this time as this could have potentially impacted one of our patients.’’
Buchanan said St John was grateful for the swift response by police.
The ambulance, which was left on its rims, was at a Dunedin towing firm’s premises on the Monday after the incident.
A witness told The Southland Times she saw two police cars with sirens and lights coming towards her car when an ambulance with no lights on pulled in front of her car ‘‘narrowly missing my family and myself’’ near Milton, South Otago.
‘‘I had to slam on my brakes to avoid a collision.’’
Judge Phillips disqualified Tamakehu from driving for two years, ordered him to intensive supervision for 18 months, 150 hours of community work, and to pay $3052 in reparations.