Theft leaves trail of smashed glass

A man who commandeered a glass delivery truck in Nelson was pursued by police before crashing into a farm paddock in the Pigeon Valley.

Levi Jensen McMaster, 23, was sentenced on a range of charges in the Nelson District Court on Monday.

McMaster had pleaded guilty to charges of reckless driving, aggravated assault, theft of a motor vehicle and failure to stop for police.

At about 6.40pm on December 4, McMaster entered the loading bay area of Viridian Glass on Tokomaru Place in Stoke. He found a Mitsubishi Fuso delivery truck with the keys left inside, and got in.

He struck and threatened a Viridian staff member who tried to intervene.

McMaster then took off towards Wakefield, driving at speed as police pursued him.

He drove at 100kmh in an 80kmh zone, crossing the centre line several times, causing the glass inside the truck to fall out and smash on the road.

On Pigeon Valley Rd, McMaster crashed through a farm gate before coming to a halt in some bushes. He then tried to flee from police on foot, but was quickly apprehended.

Lawyer Wayne Jones said McMaster was ‘‘in dire need of a rehabilitative sentence’’.

Jones recommended a term of intensive supervision was appropriate for McMaster, who had already spent two months and two weeks in custody.

Jones said McMaster had suffered significant pyschological damage over the years. At the time of the offending he had selfharm on his mind, but was now in a much better frame of mind.

Judge David Ruth said McMaster had accrued 48 previous convictions in the District Court, notwithstanding Youth

Court notifications.

Judge Ruth said he was loath to give McMaster a prison sentence, given his age.

He sentenced McMaster to 12 months’ intensive supervision, including special conditions of a psychological assessment and a drug and alcohol counselling assessment.

He also disqualified McMaster from driving for 12 months, and ordered him to pay $840 in reparations for the damaged fence.