Bogged tractor puts an end to crime spree

A man who stole a tractor to free a stuck car he fled police in, was then arrested when he got the tractor bogged as well.

Brendon Allan Dippie, 28, was jailed for 15 months on Friday by Timaru District Court Judge Joanna Maze, having admitted a raft of charges from offences committed in North Otago from August 31 to September 8, 2021.

The tractor theft ended three days of offending where Dippie had been driving speeding vehicles and each time managing to evade police attempts to catch him.

Dippie was first clocked driving a Holden car at 175kph on State Highway 1 between Hampden and Palmerston on August 31 and did not stop when police activated their flashing lights. A day later Dippie was spotted in Waikouaiti at the wheel of a Nissan car and fled at speed through the township on SH1 and Ramrock Rd.

At 5.25pm on September 2, Dippie was spotted driving the Nissan on SH1 with three associates in Herbert but did not stop when a following police car turned on its flashing lights and sped away, taking numerous back roads west of Ō amaru.

Police located the vehicle again further north, at 5.40pm, but Dippie accelerated to 125kph as he passed oncoming police vehicle. ‘‘The defendant drove over a one lane bridge at speed and caused an oncoming motorist to drive into a culvert to avoid a head on collision as he went around the next corner,’’ the summary of facts says.

Dippie then drove to a farm Corridale area in the Waitaki District, driving across ‘‘numerous paddocks, cutting two fences to clear his path’’.

His vehicle then got stuck, and he walked to a nearby farm and located a track worth about $20,000. ‘‘The defendant drove the tractor back to where his vehicle was but when he got there he got the tractor stuck as well.

‘‘Police were called and located the defendant and associate.’’

Dippie said went to the farm because he was ‘‘showing off’’ and ‘‘took the tractor to get his car out of the bog’’.

Five days after being arrested on the seven charges, Dippie was arrested again on four more charges following an incident at a friend’s house in Ō amaru.

He drove, while suspended, to the house, in the belief the friend had stolen his backpack and entered her house uninvited, picking up a baseball bat.

When the victim denied having the backpack, Dippie smashed a TV, a heater, mirror, sliding door and a hole in the wall. The victim, who was left badly shaken and scared by Dippie’s actions, also had her cellphone stolen.

Judge Maze said the defendant had nine previous dishonesty convictions, including four for burglary, and the offending while on bail was an aggravating feature.

In sentencing Dippie to 15 months’ jail, Judge Maze also imposed two six-month driving while disqualified periods to be served cumulatively and ordered $1009.70 in reparation.

Charges Dippie was convicted on included possessing an offensive weapon, intentional damage, theft, driving while licence suspended, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, driving in a dangerous manner, three counts of failing to stop (including one aggravated), unlawfully being in an enclosed yard and driving at a dangerous speed.