Brandon Lee Pora led Whangārei police on a chase to 'look cool'

Brandon Pora stole a vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase in Whangārei because he wanted to look cool. Photo / File

Brandon Lee Pora cut his ankle bracelet off while on home detention, stole a vehicle in Whangārei and led police on a chase through red lights at intersections because he "just wanted to look cool".

During the pursuit on October 28, last year, Pora reversed into a police patrol vehicle twice that forced an officer to take evasive action to avoid being hit before Pora drove around residential areas of Whangārei at dangerous speeds.

"This was not some video game Mr Pora. It was selfish, idiotic behaviour on your part," Judge John McDonald told Pora while sentencing him in the Whangārei District Court to 34 months in jail on all charges.

Pora pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, reckless driving, failing to stop, criminal nuisance, and two charges of assault with a weapon.

When asked why he drove in a crazy manner, Pora said he just wanted to look cool.

The Probation Service applied for a review of his home detention sentence after Pora cut off his ankle bracelet and absconded when Corrections declined his request for leave of absence to buy cigarettes from a dairy.

At the time he was serving 10 months' home detention in Auckland on charges of burglary, receiving, obtaining a document for pecuniary advantage, and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

He was re-sentenced to 13 months in jail on each of the charges he was serving home detention for.

A day after cutting off his bracelet, Pora stole a car from Port Rd in Whangārei and a police unit spotted the vehicle on Cairnfield Rd in Ōtangarei and attempted to stop him.

He stopped but before an officer could get out of the patrol car to talk to him, Pora reversed into the police car before speeding away. He repeated the action when stopped for a second time.

Pora then drove around residential streets of Whangārei, often on the wrong side of the road and at speed.

He threw hand tools, a box, a bag and clothes out to try to stop the pursuing police car.

On State Highway 1 at Kauri, the front left tyre of the stolen car was completely shredded but Pora continued driving at 140km/h and swerved into the opposite lane on multiple occasions.

He was arrested when he lost control of the vehicle after it veered off the road and crashed into a ditch.

Judge McDonald said judges in Northland have a zero tolerance for offenders who fled from police.

"Crashing into a patrol car and then on a second occasion attempting to do so makes it extremely serious in my view," he said.