Convicted killer's crazy driving led to dog park crash

The aftermath of the high speed crash on June 2 when this vehicle went through a dog park fence. Photo / Barry Clarke

More details have emerged over the crazy driving of a convicted killer who came to a stop after crashing into a dog park.

John Oliver Jamieson, 31, is likely to return to prison after the high speed chase on Saturday, June 2, south of Christchurch.

Jamieson pleaded guilty in the district court last week to a series of charges. He had been charged with driving dangerously, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police, driving recklessly, driving carelessly, and unlawful possession of a pistol – a sawn off .22 rifle – which was found in the crashed vehicle.

Judge Tony Couch ruled out home detention as a possible sentencing option and remanded him custody until sentencing on July 26.

The court heard Jamieson drove north on State Highway 1 towards Burnham, at 180km/h while overtaking other cars in a passing lane. Police followed him with their sirens and lights on, but he crossed the double yellow lines into the south-bound lane to overtake other north-bound cars.

He remained on the wrong side of the road until the end of the passing lane, still travelling at high speed. He turned too fast into Rolleston's Tennyson St, and went off the road, across the grass area of the BP service station, and narrowly missed the KFC sign, before going back on the road.

At the junction with Lowes Rd he drove onto the wrong side of the road again, around a roundabout the wrong way, hit another car causing minor damage, before leaving the road and crashing into the Rolleston dog park fence.

A fence post speared through the windscreen, narrowly missing a woman who had been in the passenger seat.

Jamieson left the vehicle but was soon caught by following police.

During last week's appearance Judge Couch asked for the case to be referred for a possible restorative justice meeting between Jamieson and the district council, who own the dog park fence, and face a $1035 repair bill.

District council Rolleston Reserve Management Committee chairman Jens Christensen told the Selwyn Times on Thursday he hadn't heard about any restorative justice meeting.

"I wouldn't see a point to be honest, we're not that badly affected… We've asked for reparation," he said.

Jamieson was jailed in 2009 for nine years for manslaughter for the death of Wayne Kerry Bray, who was kicked to death in a group street assault in Timaru the previous year.

He was also found guilty last year of threatening to chop his wife's head off during an argument over the telephone.

- Star.kiwi