Sparks and bottles fly; teen’s ‘extraordinary’ driving revealed
AS sparks flew from the rims on which Eruera Matene drove around Balclutha, he hurled bottles from his window at his pursuers.
The 19yearold appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to dishonestly taking a vehicle, drinkdriving and dangerous driving.
He could remember nothing of the May 27 incident but the court heard a blowbyblow account.
The agriculture student began drinking with friends at noon.
Seven hours later the group made it to Rosebank Lodge but Matene left, walking down Wilson Rd.
Seeing a Ford Falcon in a driveway, he opened the door and found the key in the central console.
As Matene backed out of the drive, he smashed into a stone wall which shredded the right front tyre.
Further down the road, the damage was so extensive, the rubber disintegrated and he continued on the metal rim.
Speeding through Balclutha with sparks spewing from the wheel, the defendant careened through the Cambridge St intersection, unable to stop because of the state of the vehicle.
Matene ended up in the grass verge.
‘‘That did not deter you,’’ Judge John Macdonald said.
The teen simply backed out and drove on, soon losing control and colliding with a Ford Ranger parked in a nearby driveway.
The owner yelled at him to stop and then followed when it was clear that would not happen.
The victim chased Matene as he weaved along the road.
As the defendant passed the Night n Day in Essex St, he threw a bottle from his window at his pursuer.
It missed the vehicle but Matene had another crack shortly afterwards. Again he was unsuccessful and as he turned into Glasgow St, he ran off into a park.
The man in the Ford and a friend who had been with him continued the chase on foot and apprehended Matene before calling police.
Defence counsel Marie TaylorCyphers stressed it was her client’s first convictions and he had a bright future ahead, regardless.
Judge Macdonald called it a ‘‘quite extraordinary piece of driving’’.
Matene said he had not consumed alcohol since the incident.
He was sentenced to nine months’ supervision and 160 hours’ community work. He was banned from driving for a year and ordered him to pay $800 to cover insurance excesses.