A man who drove at speed the wrong way down Auckland motorways, then later pointed a pistol at his ex while on parole, is considered an “undue risk” and must remain in prison.
Kingi Johnson Karanga is serving a number of cumulative jail terms, which add up to nine years and nine months, for offending since 2017.
Now, he will remain behind bars for at least another 12 months after the Parole Board considered his case recently.
It noted Karanga had failed a drug test in the past year, was being assessed for rehabilitation and that another Parole Board hearing in six months would be “too soon”.
Karanga’s most recent sentence, for armed burglary, was imposed in July and added 18 months on to jail terms he was already serving.
The latest offence related to an incident in which he pointed a gun at his ex-partner through her open bedroom window.
He left her house after the woman’s toddler son told him he was being “naughty” and to “go away”.
At the time of that offending, Karanga was on parole from prison, where he was sent after a day of mayhem in 2017, during which he drove at speed against the flow of traffic on two Auckland motorways.
The judge at his sentencing in 2018 said he was “literally holding my breath for other motorists” as he watched footage of Karanga’s driving taken from the police Eagle helicopter.
The judge said Karanga’s “appalling” driving could easily have resulted in a fatal crash.
Karanga drove against Auckland motorway traffic on three occasions on the same afternoon in October 2017, trying to evade police and their Eagle helicopter as they tracked the stolen vehicle he was in.
On the last occasion, he continued to drive at speed on three deflated tyres after they had been punctured by road spikes.
Karanga, now 33, came to a stop and was arrested only when the ute he was driving hit two cars that had stopped in traffic.
He also caused another accident after punching a motorist while trying to hijack his car, prompting the dazed man to drive off and accelerate into a lamppost, leaving him with head injuries.
After the highway havoc, Karanga pleaded guilty to “endangering transport”, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison and is aimed at people who dangerously target transport facilities, including vehicles, ships, aircraft and navigation equipment.
The Crown also laid reckless driving charges as an alternative to endangering transport – a much less serious charge with a maximum penalty of three months in prison or a fine not exceeding $4500.
In the end, however, it was the three counts of “endangering transport” that stuck – one for each instance of driving the wrong way on the motorways.
The late Judge Ron Ronayne jailed Karanga for six years and nine months – a sentence that also took into account other offences, including attempting to unlawfully take a motor vehicle, assault with intent to rob, reckless and dangerous driving, failing to stop, resisting police, and burglary.
Later, Karanga received more jail time for an aggravated robbery.
Karanga was released on parole in March 2023.
The following November, he went to his partner’s house soon after their relationship ended, forced her bedroom window open and pointed a pistol at her while still standing outside.
He began grilling the woman about the father of her child, accusing her of resuming the relationship and demanding to see messages on her phone.
He appeared to have second thoughts after the woman’s toddler told him to go away.
Karanga was caught the following day, after again being tracked by the Eagle helicopter.
He abandoned his car and tried to flee on foot but was quickly arrested.
In the car, police found a loaded .22 pistol, ammunition, 3g of methamphetamine and a glass pipe.
Karanga was recalled from parole to prison while his latest offending was dealt with. He has remained there since.
The Parole Board considered his case on September 25 this year, even though Karanga, through his lawyer, “responsibly” did not seek release this time.
However, his lawyer asked for him to be reconsidered in six months. The Parole Board convenor, Aaron Perkins, KC, said that was “a little too soon”.
Perkins noted Karanga had accumulated “mixed file notes” while in prison over the past year. He had failed a drug test.
Case managers had asked a psychologist to assess the most suitable rehabilitation programme for him.
“A treatment programme is being formulated for him and he has indicated through his counsel his willingness to engage,” the Parole Board report said.
Karanga completed a medium intensity rehabilitation programme before being paroled, but that did not prevent him from reoffending while in the community.
Court documents show Karanga has more than 45 convictions dating back to 2008, including dangerous driving and family violence.
Police said he was in a stolen ute as he tried to evade them and drove against the flow of motorway traffic in 2017.
He drove at more than 100km/h on the wrong side of the motorway as other motorists – some also driving at 100km/h – took evasive manoeuvres to avoid a head-on crash.
At one point, he managed to cover 3.1km of the Southern Motorway in one minute and 45 seconds.
Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of frontline experience as a probation officer.