Drugs, cash in car chase

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A cannabis dealer led police on a 20-kilometre, high-speed chase before abandoning his vehicle and trying to run off with a rubbish bag full of drugs and $24,000, Gisborne District Court has heard.

William Taiapa, 38, was sentenced by Judge Warren Cathcart to 10½ months home detention. Cash totalling $25,250 was forfeited (an additional $1215 was found in the car).

The vehicle owner was issued a warning that it would be confiscated if Taiapa used it to re-offend.

Taiapa admitted the offences — possessing cannabis for supply, reckless driving, failing to remain stopped and failing to stop, and a breach of bail — but could hardly have done otherwise in the face of such overwhelming evidence, Judge Cathcart told him.

It was about 1.40pm on October 25 last year when police stopped Taiapa. His partner was in the passenger seat. Taiapa was asked to remain in the car while an officer returned momentarily to his patrol car. Instead Taiapa reversed back and drove off.

Police mounted a chase. Taiapa set the pace, often at more than 30kmh above designated speed limits in rural and urban areas. He ignored his partner’s pleas to stop.

He avoided a roundabout clogged with traffic in central Gisborne, by mounting the forecourt of a business and driving for about 50 metres along a pavement. His vehicle collided with another, the driver of which had been trying to position it to stop him.

Taiapa continued driving, charging through a major intersection and into a cul-de-sac, where he abandoned the vehicle and made off on foot.

Arrested soon afterwards, he was carrying a rubbish sack he had taken with him from the car. It contained 172 grams of loose, good quality cannabis head material, 30 “tinnie” lots and another 19.1 grams of the drug, pre-cut tinfoil, digital scales, snaplock bags, phones, and cash totalling more than $24,000.

His home was searched but nothing further was found.

Granted bail after his arrest, Taiapa failed to show up at court.

Crown prosecutor Steve Manning said it was significant commercial drug dealing of a class C substance. The court would need to consider whether home detention was an appropriate alternative to a prison term.

Counsel Amanda Courtney said Taiapa was previously of good character, notwithstanding some irrelevant offending 12 years earlier.

A well-known, respected member of the community had written a letter supporting Taiapa, while Taiapa, of his own volition, had penned a remorse letter for the court.

Taiapa had not driven since the incident and had reintegrated with his family. He was regularly attending a marae, Ms Courtney said.

On the lead charge of possessing cannabis for supply, Judge Cathcart set a sentence starting point of 30 months, uplifting it by a further two months (adjusted for totality).

There was an order for destruction of the cannabis, phones, and drug paraphenalia. The cash was forfeited to the Crown.

Taiapa’s remorse and previous good character earned him a four-month discount. He received a reduction of 25 percent for his guilty pleas.

A pre-sentence report suggested Taiapa was suitable for home detention. The judge agreed.