Wild police chase in $249,000 Porsche
Deported 501 murder-for-hire convict remains at large in NZ
An Auckland man deported from Australia as a 501 after serving prison time as a teenager for a murder-forhire plot involving a victim with cerebral palsy is again wanted by police.
This time, it’s for failing to appear in a New Zealand court for a wild 100km police chase in a stolen $249,000 Porsche. At one point during the hour-long April 2023 pursuit, Sifa Tevita, now 37, had 20 police vehicles following him.
He drove in the wrong direction down the Waikato Expressway when it was busy with school holiday traffic, nearly hit an ambulance, swerved at members of the public and kept going even after two flat tyres fell off the Porsche.
When police finally caught Tevita, he “refused to provide an explanation, choosing instead to urinate in front of them”, according to court documents recently released to the Weekend Herald.
Tevita pleaded guilty to burglary, reckless driving and failure to stop for police and had been set for sentencing this week in the Auckland District Court, where he faced a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
He was also scheduled to be sentenced for breaching the Returning Offenders Act, which allows Corrections to supervise the reintegration of those returning to New Zealand after criminal convictions overseas, placing on them parole-like restrictions.
Judge June Jelas instead ordered a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for the hearing, with defence lawyer Harvena Cherrington indicating to the judge she had not been able to reach her client. He remains at large.
‘Risk to the public’
According to court documents, the crime spree began in affluent Auckland suburb Parnell about 2am on April 16 last year when Tevita and codefendant Ronald Neilson cased a gated residence where the 2021 model Porsche 911 C4S and a $50,000 Land Rover Discovery were parked.
They returned at 4am and removed the keys for both vehicles from within the residence.
“The defendant Neilson has driven the Land Rover directly at the security gate, smashing it from its hinges before driving from the property,” states the agreed summary of facts for Tevita’s case. “The defendant Tevita has followed in the Porsche.”
Neilson has also pleaded guilty but remains at large after failing to show up for a sentencing last month.
Police spotted Tevita heading towards Hamilton that same day after he attempted to purchase fuel for the sports car at a Waihi petrol station about 7.30am.
He realised police were on to him when they attempted to spike the Porsche’s tyres. When that attempt to stop him didn’t work, police pulled directly behind him with red and blue lights flashing. Tevita sped away.
“The defendant has entered the Waikato Expressway the wrong way before driving south in the northbound lane,” court documents state.
“He proceeded to travel 7km down the wrong side of the Expressway during which time he swerved toward police units travelling northbound and narrowly avoided colliding with an ambulance.”
He exited the motorway to Te Rapa Rd in Horotiu, driving at an estimated speed of 80km/h despite the two right tyres of the Porsche having completely deflated at that point.
“As the defendant drove south along Te Rapa Rd, he against swerved towards a police unit and regularly travelled on the incorrect side of the road, forcing members of the public to the side of the road,” the police narrative continued.
“At one stage the defendant accessed The Base shopping mall car park, forcing shoppers to take refuge inside the shops, such was the manner of driving.”
He then returned to Te Rapa Rd, continuing to drive on the wrong side in an effort to shake police, the summary of facts states. He travelled an estimated 80km/h in a 50km/h zone while again swerving towards members of the public, police noted.
“At about this time the two deflated tyres fell off the vehicle, causing the defendant to drive on the rims,” authorities have noted, explaining that he continued to avoid arrest by swerving at police or driving around them on the grass verges before again entering the wrong side of the Waikato Expressway.
“Due to the defendant’s manner of driving and unpredictable behaviour police were required to stop both north and southbound lanes of traffic to reduce the risk to the public,” authorities said.
Tevita continued to drive another 12km, including “extended periods” where he remained on the grass verge, until encountering “a considerable police roadblock” at the Taupiri interchange.
Seeing the trap that lay ahead, Tevita reversed down the motorway then exited between a wire barrier and a roadside fence in an effort to get around the roadblock.
“The defendant managed to drive a further 500m before eventually sliding into a fence, becoming stuck and fleeing from police [on foot],” court documents state.
“When arrested in a nearby paddock the defendant refused to provide an explanation, choosing instead to urinate in front of them.”
‘Not even a panadol’
During a hearing in the Hamilton District Court later the same week, Tevita was seen hobbling into the courtroom dock. He was “not in a good physical state” as a result of the incident, his lawyer at the time, Roger Laybourn, told community magistrate Brenda Midson.
“He has a serious back problem and has advised me that he has not even been provided with a panadol and wants me to raise that [with you].” The magistrate agreed to put a note on the file before remanding Tevita without plea.
The case was later transferred to the Auckland District Court.