Whanganui man led police on dangerous car chase, court told

Police were led on dangerous car chase after a man failed to pull over, the Whanganui District Court heard yesterday. Photo / File

A man who led police on a dangerous car chase from Whanganui to Waverley, and back again, faces 120 hours of community work.

Brayden James Coe, appearing in the Whanganui District Court on Tuesday, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

On February 8, Coe was signalled to pull over by police when he was driving in Castlecliff in Whanganui.

Instead, the 23 year-old took police on a lengthy car chase to Waverley, gaining speeds up to 163km/h.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Drew Morrison said Coe started to slow down and moved towards the left-hand side of the road, but then sped off.

Police followed Coe along Mosston Rd going 100km/h in a 70km/h speed zone, then up Tayforth Rd, continuing on to Francis Rd, turning right on to Rapanui Rd and then left on to SH3 towards Waverley.

"While driving north on SH3 [Coe] accelerated up to 163km/h when the speed limit was 100km/h," Morrison said.

When Coe reached Waverley, the prosecutor said, he turned right on to Swinbourne St, then right on to Smith St, then right again on to Chester St, before turning left back on to SH3 heading south, back to Whanganui.

"Eventually police caught [Coe] with spikes on his way back to Whanganui."

Defence lawyer Stephanie Burlace said Coe accepted it was an incredibly bad decision on the day and he wasn't thinking about his safety, let along the safety of others on the road.

Judge Dugald Matheson said it was appalling driving and people who use that road "don't need you putting their lives at risk".

"You were an unguided missile," the judge told Coe.

Coe was sentenced to 120 hours of community work and disqualified from driving for nine months.