Fleeing driver pleads guilty on all charges

Police spotted Dane Allison driving his Holden along State Highway 14 on Maunu Rd and attempted to stop him. Photo: File.

A young man with multiple convictions for failing to stop has admitted leading Whangarei police on a pursuit and reaching speeds of 180km/h through a small town.

Dane Allison, 23, pleaded guilty to a raft of driving charges when he appeared in the Whangarei District Court via audio visual link from prison.

The charges included failing to stop, failing to remain stopped, reckless driving, assaulting police, threatening behaviour, driving while forbidden, and possession of a pipe for smoking drugs.

Another charge of assault with blunt instrument was amended to aggravated assault on police. He also admitted two further charges of breach of community work and one of breach of intensive supervision.

Allison was twice convicted in 2013 and 2014 for failing to stop and once on a charge of failing to remain stopped prior to his latest court appearance. In May 2014, he was forbidden to drive.

On October 12, an officer in a police patrol car spotted Allison driving his Holden along State Highway 14 on Maunu Rd and attempted to stop him.

Allison accelerated towards Dargaville and at one stage reached speeds of 180km/h as he passed through Maungatapere, which has a speed limit of 70km/h.

He threw a large metal torch and a crowbar but they narrowly missed the patrol car.

While approaching Tangiteroria, he crossed the opposite lane at a blind corner, forcing a vehicle towing a heavy domestic trailer to take evasive action.

Allison then slammed on the brakes and reversed at speed towards the stationary police vehicle. The officer managed to swerve and narrowly avoided a collision.

Allison then turned into a loose gravel road and drove mostly on the wrong side. At one point, he cut a corner and almost had a head-on collision with another car driven by a woman taking her two children to school.

Allison drove on to Hauto Rd where police discovered his car hidden near a quarry with a cover over it. About three hours later he was tracked by a police dog to a property where he was hiding in bushes.

While sitting in the back of a patrol car, he was heard yelling out to the occupant of a house: "I know where you live. I am going to come back and f****** kill you. You narcs."

Allison spat into an officer's face and vest after being told to shut up. He told police he fled because he knew he had warrants for his arrest and would go to jail.

Judge Keith de Ridder remanded Allison back in custody for sentencing on November 25.