Whangārei driver Lovepreet Gill sentenced to home detention for driving incidents

Police had to abandon the chase as it was becoming too dangerous. Photo / NZME

A man led police on a dangerous, high-speed chase through inner-city suburbs, reaching speeds of almost 150km/h and crashing into another vehicle.

He has now expressed his intention to return to India, but must serve a sentence for two sets of driving incidents before he is able to leave.

Today, Lovepreet Gill, 28, appeared for sentencing in the Whangārei District Court before Judge Tony Couch.

The court heard that on December 30 last year, he was clocked going 140km/h in an 80km/h zone along Great South Rd in Whangārei.

Two weeks later, police witnessed him speeding and signalled to him to pull over, which he ignored, triggering a police pursuit.

Gill led police through the streets of Kamo and on to State Highway 1, veering side-to-side across the road while speeding.

At one point, he collided with another vehicle but continued to drive on the wrong side of the road.

Police were forced to abandon the chase because it was too dangerous but he was later arrested at his home.

He was charged with failing to stop to ascertain injury, dangerous driving, failing to stop while driving dangerously and exceeding the speed limit.

Gill told the court he did not want a sentence of supervision as he wanted to return to India and also said he no longer owned the car.

However, Crown prosecutor Eilish O’Connor said the car, although impounded, was still in his name.

Judge Couch said the speed camera that caught Gill would normally lead to a fine being issued by mail; however, he was going so fast that it was beyond the normal scope of a standard fine.

“On these occasions, you were 64 and 66km/h above the speed limit,” Judge Couch said.

The judge said the quickest way for Gill to return to India would be to serve a sentence of home detention.

He was sentenced to one month and 14 days’ home detention, disqualified from driving for nine months and fined $1600.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.