Violent offender clocked at 133kmh and overtook on hill road in face of oncoming traffic

Brody Gray was observed crossing double yellow lines and overtaking in the path of oncoming traffic on the winding Remutaka Hill Road north of Wellington. File photo / NZME

A man on bail for serious strangulation was clocked driving at dangerous speeds before he crashed and then struggled with the driver of another vehicle he tried to carjack.

During his journey from Napier to the Hutt Valley, Brody James David Gray, 24, was observed driving at a speed of 133km/h, crossing double yellow lines on the Remutaka Hill Road and overtaking multiple vehicles in the face of oncoming traffic.

He appeared in the Napier District Court this week on a raft of violence and driving charges, and was jailed by Judge Bridget Mackintosh for three years and eight months.

Gray had pleaded guilty to impeding a woman’s breathing, three breaches of a protection order, obstructing the course of justice, dangerous driving, unlawfully taking a vehicle, unlawfully getting into a vehicle, theft, failing to stop and driving under the influence of a controlled drug.

His offending spanned the latter half of last year and began when he assaulted a woman who had a protection order against him.

On July 17, Gray put his hands around her neck and applied pressure for about 15 seconds, leaving her struggling to breathe and gasping for air, according to a Crown summary of facts.

When she tried to push him away, he grabbed her by the hair, pulled her down to the ground and kicked her in the head.

The woman suffered multiple bruises to her throat and neck, jaw and upper left arm.

On December 5, while on electronically monitored bail, Gray went back to the woman’s house and tried to force his way through the door. When he was unsuccessful, he cut off his monitoring bracelet and fled.

Over the next few days, he called and sent texts to the victim multiple times.

One of the text messages ordered her to tell the police to drop the strangulation charge against him – such charges have a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

On December 12, Gray borrowed a Volkswagen car in Napier, telling the owner he would return it that evening but he failed to do so.

Two days later, he drove the Volkswagen south from Napier to the Hutt Valley.

The estimated travel time to drive the 126km to Upper Hutt from Pahiatua, where Gray drove off from a service station without paying for fuel, is one hour, 40 minutes. Gray did it in about 1 hour and 21 minutes.

Near Eketahuna, a police radar clocked him driving at 133km/h and overtaking three cars at once.

Police on the winding Remutaka Hill Road saw him crossing double yellow lines and overtaking other vehicles in the path of oncoming traffic, and at speed.

Near the River Road and Fergusson Drive intersection at Upper Hutt, he ran into the back of another car stopped at a red light.

Gray got into a Subaru nearby and told the motorist to drive. The man said “no”, and Gray struggled with him until police arrived and arrested him a short time later.

Methamphetamine was found in a sample of his blood.

In court, Judge Mackintosh said the only way for Gray to get bail after the violent offending was to move to Napier, away from the Wellington region where his victim lived.

However, he found this difficult to cope with this and felt an “enormous pull-back” towards the capital, she said.

The judge noted Gray had experienced issues with methamphetamine addiction and a difficult and unsettled upbringing.

However, she said the way he had behaved towards the woman he choked had been traumatic for her and the strangulation was “terribly frightening”.

She said his driving had been “fairly horrific, I have to say”.

Judge Mackintosh sentenced Gray to three years in prison for the violent offending, and eight further months to be served cumulatively for the driving-related offences.

Gray owed $12,262 in fines, which were remitted.