Banned driver led police on chase
A BANNED driver abandoned his car and dog after police chased him through the streets of Dunedin.
Timaru man Codie James Benjamin McNoe (34) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to reckless driving, driving while disqualified and failing to stop.
On December 19, a year into a 15month driving ban, McNoe was cruising the streets in his mate’s Subaru station wagon.
As he drove down King Edward St — with a large Rottweiler in tow — police in an unmarked car saw the defendant speaking on his cell phone.
They activated their lights and McNoe pulled over into a car park.
Aware of his predicament, the man gave officers false details but it was not enough to throw them off the scent.
When police went to press McNoe about his true identity, he got back into his car, locked the door and sped off, narrowly missing an officer.
They pursued the defendant as he accelerated along Melbourne St.
McNoe reached speeds of 80kmh in the residential area, court documents said.
At an intersection, he failed to stop at a giveway and pushed on, again exceeding the speed limit as he turned into Andersons Bay Rd.
Undeterred by heavy traffic, McNoe weaved through the steady stream of vehicles.
After making a series of turns, the defendant came to Hillside Rd where he passed other road users on the median strip in a bid to outrun police.
The defendant came to a queue waiting at lights and turned into oncoming traffic to avoid stopping.
Once he made it through the forecourt of a car dealership, he hurtled along a footpath before again driving on the wrong side of the road.
At that point, police abandoned the chase.
Twenty minutes later, though, McNoe was arrested after leaving his vehicle, and dog, taking off on foot.
He told police he had fled because he wanted to spend Christmas with his children rather than in jail.
After entering guilty pleas yesterday, he was remanded on bail until next week and the matter was transferred to the Timaru District Court.