Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Jumper was a meth addict

By Imran Ali
Northern Advocate·
9 Sep, 2016 06:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Alaric EcclestonPHOTO/SUPPLIED

Alaric EcclestonPHOTO/SUPPLIED

A methamphetamine addict who jumped off the Auckland Harbour Bridge and died during a police pursuit this week was spared jail by the Whangarei District Court this year so he could be treated for his drug addiction.

On Thursday, Alaric Eccleston died after a police chase that began in Orewa and despite efforts to resuscitate him by officers from the Police Maritime Unit and paramedics from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter base.

In January, Eccleston appeared in the Whangarei District Court where he was sentenced to 10 months' home detention after pleading guilty to a raft of driving charges stemming from a police pursuit which Judge Duncan Harvey described as the "worst he could recall".

He said it was fortunate Eccleston did not kill anyone. However, Judge Harvey gave him a second chance so Eccleston could be treated for his meth addiction at Odyssey House. Eccleston had admitted charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, driving reckless causing injury, possession of cannabis plant, failing to stop, three charges of breach of release conditions and two of theft.

Eccleston stole a Holden Colorado ute from Auckland in June last year and drove to Whangarei where he led police on a chase through town and suburban streets before crashing head-on into another vehicle. The female driver of that car suffered a fractured sternum.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But, while serving his home detention sentence, he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet in April which prompted Auckland police to call for public help in arresting him.

Eccleston again came to police attention in Auckland on Thursday after he allegedly stole a car and money from a woman in Orewa. He again failed to stop for police and led officers through central Auckland before ramming into two police cars in Parnell.

Eccleston also displayed similar behaviour during the police pursuit in central Whangarei in June last year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After doing a U-turn on Wood Rd, Whangarei, he appeared to aim the ute at the oncoming police patrol car which caused officers to veer out of the way.

During Thursday's police chase, he stopped the car at the highest point on the Harbour Bridge and jumped over the railing.

He had several warrants for his arrest and was believed to have been actively evading authorities.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate
|Updated

'Tipping point to extinction': Orca expert fears marina fast-track application

Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'Tipping point to extinction': Orca expert fears marina fast-track application
Northern Advocate
|Updated

'Tipping point to extinction': Orca expert fears marina fast-track application

Dr Visser warns the marina could be the 'tipping point to extinction' for orca.

16 Jul 05:00 PM
'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood
Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

16 Jul 06:00 AM
'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court
Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

16 Jul 04:04 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP