Convicted killer involved in high-speed crash near Christchurch

A 30-year-old man, who has been convicted of manslaughter, crashed into a dog park on Saturday after allegedly travelling at 180km/h along State Highway 1.

A convicted killer is back behind bars after a spectacular crash south of Christchurch while allegedly fleeing police.

John Oliver Jamieson's Subaru Forester crashed through the Rolleston dog park fence last Saturday.

A spear-like fence post smashed through the window screen, narrowly missing a woman in the passenger seat.

Jamieson and the woman were unhurt.

Jamieson had earlier been recorded driving at 180km/h on State Highway 1.

A cut-down rifle was later found by police in the vehicle.

Startled dog walkers said Jamieson ran a short distance from the vehicle before stopping to see if the woman in the vehicle was okay.

Police arrived soon after and he was apprehended.

Jamieson was one of six men found guilty of the manslaughter of Timaru man Wayne Kerry Bray in 2009. Jamieson received a nine-year jail sentence. He was on bail for other charges at the time of the attack on Mr Bray.

Mr Bray, 26, died four days after he was punched, kicked and stomped on in a Timaru street.

Mr Bray had walked past a property where there had been a party. There had been bad blood between one of the men found guilty and Mr Bray which led to the attack.

Jamieson appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Monday facing charges of driving at a dangerous speed, driving while disqualified, failing to stop, reckless driving, careless driving and unlawful possession of a firearm.

He was remanded in custody until June 18.

A woman in the dog park said the vehicle failed to take the roundabout at the intersection of Goulds and Springston Rds, became airborne and smashed through the fence.

A New Zealand Parole Board spokesman said Jamieson was paroled for the Timaru killing in April 2015. He had been denied parole two years earlier.

- Star.kiwi