Drunk Ngāruawāhia man fled with employer's horses, killing one

Kresten Stephen Fitness didn't apply for bail and instead pleaded guilty to 12 charges after the drunken and high speed escapade through Hamilton on Thursday evening.

After being told he couldn't ride his boss's horse due to being intoxicated, Kresten Stephen Fitness took matters into his own hands.

Instead of riding his employer's horses Saxon and Tyson at the property they grazed on Hakarimata Rd, Ngāruawāhia, Fitness loaded the two pair into his boss's horse float and attached it to their Isuzu ute and sped off.

Only one of animals would survive the high-speed joyride Fitness took them on around the streets of Hamilton, which only came to a halt after police took out one of the tyres on the ute.

Fitness, 26, was back in the Hamilton District Court this afternoon after the incident on Thursday evening.

Court documents show Fitness lived in a caravan and worked part time on the victim's farm near Ngāruawāhia.

After a period drinking, Fitness asked his boss whether he could ride Saxon which was grazing at another property on Hakarimata Rd.

His boss said no as he had been drinking but Fitness ignored him.

Instead, he loaded the two horses - which were not familiar with him - in the float and stole the ute and headed south.

At 6.10pm he was involved in a road-rage incident with another motorist on Kahikatea Drive and nearly caused a crash. Twenty minutes later police received another call about Fitness' driving, before officers caught up with him on Killarney Rd.

Fitness fled police but stayed at a normal speed heading onto Lake Domain Drive where he drove on the wrong side of the road twice, with other motorists having to take evasive action.

He then drove through several sets of red lights at speed before ramming a police car at the intersection of Greenwood and Massey Streets. He again fled to Forest Lake Rd where he again drove on the wrong side of the road before getting on to Te Rapa Rd.

The 18.4km pursuit took just over 20 minutes and only came to a stop after police used a "tyre deflation device".

He then put up a fight with officers and abused them, threatening them and their families.

Police described Fitness' behaviour at the time as "belligerent, abusive and obnoxious".

During Fitness' wild driving, Tyson lost his footing which meant he had to be put down at the scene on Te Rapa Rd at Horotiu. Saxon was "extremely agitated" but not seriously injured.

Fitness' lawyer Wayne Dollimore withdrew an earlier application for bail and instead entered guilty pleas to 12 of the 13 charges laid.

Police withdrew a charge of threatening to kill.

Dollimore said it was clear that Fitness had a "serious alcohol issue" and it had been an issue in the past.

Judge Philip Cooper agreed stating it was "pretty obvious that the defendant has a pretty serious alcohol issue".

He convicted Fitness and remanded him in further custody for various reports until sentencing on July 5.