High speed chase — Man paid $500 for $33,000 car
After leading police on a high-speed chase through the Waikato, Ryan Rangi told the police he had bought the stolen car he had been driving from a friend for $500.
The black 2014 SV6 Holden Commodore Ute was actually valued at $32,995.
In the Hamilton District Court yesterday, Judge Kim Saunders told Rangi:
‘‘Even you must have realised it was too good to be true.’’
Rangi, 27, was then sentenced to nine months in prison on charges including reckless driving, failing to stop for police, driving while unlicensed, receiving stolen goods, and possession of cannabis.
All those charges resulted from an illfated escapade that began at 4.17pm on Wednesday, October 3, when a police patrol pulled into a rest area at the summit of the Kaimai Ranges and found the stolen ute parked there, with Rangi sitting behind the wheel.
He floored it. The police gave chase. Rangi headed west. Down the Kaimais and towards Matamata he flew, passing cars at speeds of more than 160kmh, swerving in and out of his lane and crossing the centreline into the path of oncoming traffic.
He kept heading west, his path taking in State Highways 29, 24 and 1. It was the end of the working day and traffic was heavy on all the roads.
It was outside Riverlea Wreckers, just south of Hamilton, where the police were finally able to spike the ute. Unable to flee any further, Rangi drove it onto a centre island, hopped out and took off. But he didn’t get far.
After catching and securing their quarry, the police found Rangi had a small brown bag with a small amount of cannabis inside.
He told the police: ‘‘I didn’t want to stop because of the weed.’’
Rangi had served an earlier stint in prison after being jailed in April for a month on an earlier charge of receiving stolen goods.
A pre-sentence report had found him of high risk of reoffending.
Judge Saunders took a start point of seven months in jail on the receiving charge. She added three months to account for the other charges, and a further two months in recognition of his conviction history.
A deduction for his plea of guilty took the equation back down to nine months and the judge allowed leave for Rangi to apply for home detention, if a suitable address became available.
She also disqualified him from driving for 12 months.