The court heard that when Matthews saw his ex, and her partner drive by, he pulled out of the gas station and began following them. He sped up and drove along the left-hand grass verge so he was next to the couple’s car. He then tried to force their car into oncoming traffic, before overtaking them and waiting further up the road for them to go past.
He then pursued the couple again, this time pulling up beside them and trying to force them into oncoming traffic - but the woman’s partner braked hard. As Matthews drove past the victim’s car he looked at the pair and made a threatening pistol gesture.
The couple turned down State Highway 29, so Matthews again turned around and pursued them.
Travelling about 100km/h and pulling up alongside their car again, Matthews leaned out his window, managed to open their car’s passenger door and tried to grab his ex. She managed to avoid Matthews by leaning to the side.
The second carload of family members who were following behind eventually ended the situation by ramming into the back of Matthews’ car.
He fled but was spotted by police about 4.18pm travelling at more than 170km/h towards Te Aroha down Tower Rd.
Despite Tower Rd being busy with holiday traffic and part of the Hauraki rail trail, Matthews sped through multiple stop signs, crossed the centreline and cut corners.
Matthews didn’t slow down through the small settlement of Manawaru, which has a speed limit of 50km/h, instead speeding through at about 150km approaching Te Aroha township.
He continued to cross lanes and cut corners to avoid traffic congestion, travelling between 70km/h and 100km/h, narrowly avoiding a collision before turning into Tui Rd.
There, in a bid to avoid police, he turned into a driveway and rammed the front gate off its hinges before smashing through 20 fences and 10 farm gates in a straight line towards Te Aroha.
Sentencing Matthews today in the Hamilton District Court, Judge Maria Pecotic noted he had 94 convictions in the district court, nine relating to driving, 11 for violence, two for arson and eight breach of protection orders - all involving the same victim.
In her victim impact statement, his former partner told Matthews he needed to realise they were no longer in a relationship.
She had no idea how she was going to pay for the damage to her car and was “emotionally exhausted and tired of the way that you are carrying on and you make her angry”, Judge Pecotic read.
A pre-sentence report assessed Matthews as being at a high risk of reoffending, particularly in regard to his former partner, against whom he had clocked up 24 offences.
He was described as being highly controlling and coercive, and subjected her to gaslighting and gameplaying behaviours along with physical abuse.
Matthews’ Section 27 cultural report revealed he had a dysfunctional upbringing, leaving school at 13, and being introduced to drugs by his mother.
Judge Pecotic noted that although his ninth conviction for breach of protection order - from a separate incident in Hamilton on April 4, 2021 - didn’t involve any physical violence, “the emotional and mental toll is equally distressing”.
On the driving incident, she said it must have been “terrifying” for the others involved as continued attempts were made to force them off the road.
“Your actions were so terrifying that the victim’s family were forced to drive into the rear of your vehicle to stop your car.”
He was jailed for a total of 23 months on additional charges of dangerous driving, wilful damage of the farm property, failing to stop and common assault, the latter related to his attempt to pull the victim out of the car while driving.
Judge Pecotic noted he would be released immediately due to time already served in custody but imposed multiple release conditions including not entering Hamilton or contacting the victims.
