Escaper who tried to run down lawyer jailed

A man who broke out of a court cell, ripped off his parents, tried to run down a defence lawyer and was once labelled Wellington's most wanted man has been jailed for three years.

Christopher Hatley, 23, was yesterday sentenced in the Wellington District Court for dishonesty offences, escaping from custody and assault with a motor vehicle.

He pleaded guilty to the charges in April.

Judge John McDonald said the 11 offences began in May last year with the dishonesty offending when he stole two cheques from his parents' chequebook, cashing one of them the same day for $1000.

He then used a stolen credit card to make $12,000 in purchases and tried to use it again to buy $7500 of computer equipment.

More credit card offending and theft followed before he was caught. While on bail he used another credit card to hire a Nissan Maxima.

When he was driving around the Wellington suburb of Island Bay with friends on November 10, he spotted defence lawyer Simon Hewson driving his Jaguar and followed him until he pulled over.

"As he gets out and stands on the road you accelerated towards him," the judge said yesterday.

Mr Hewson, seeing the danger, threw himself against the side of his car.

"Your vehicle went past at speed, completely tearing off the driver's door and narrowly missing Mr Hewson ... one can only imagine what you and your mates were saying in the car."

A victim impact statement said Mr Hewson had been badly shaken and had not felt it was safe to have his family living with him until Hatley was captured.

After Hatley was caught he was being held in the basement cells at Wellington District Court on November 28 when he and another inmate bashed through the cell wall into an open cell, ripped a roller door off, opened another door and escaped.

"You told the probation officer you did that because it was a bit of a rush.

"One really wonders, Mr Hatley, what you were thinking. It's not the Wild West, you were always going to be caught."

Hatley was recaptured the next day.

The total cost of the offending, including the damage to the cars, was more than $14,000.

Hatley already owed $16,000 in fines and there was no possibility of reparation, the court was told.

Judge McDonald said Hatley should be thankful his parents still had anything to do with him - his mother had visited him at least once a week while he was on remand.

She sat tearfully at the back of the court yesterday, with Hatley's father and brother, as her son was jailed for three years.

Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier had asked for between 4 and 5 1/2 years, noting Hatley's lack of remorse.

Mr Hewson had never represented Hatley, but had once acted for a co-accused.

Hatley's lawyer, Rob Stevens, said Hatley was an intelligent young man who could yet make something of his life.

He had apologised to Mr Hewson and had not intended to hit him with the car.

"It's clear that had he actually intended to run the victim down he would have parked his vehicle in the seat of Mr Hewson's vehicle."

Judge McDonald said the fact that Hatley was addicted to methamphetamine was not a mitigating factor. "People who voluntarily take illicit drugs are to be held accountable for what they do."

- NZPA