A "cold-hearted" crime spree, in which a Gisborne man stole the car of a couple who had stopped to help him, before later leading police on a high-speed chase through Wanganui, has ended with the offender being jailed for 20 months.
Leo Thornton, 24, received the jail term when he appeared in Wanganui District Court yesterday for sentence on eight charges - two of theft of a motor vehicle, two of theft of petrol, demanding cash, failing to stop for police, reckless driving, and resisting police.
Thornton lifted his heavily tattooed arm as he walked into the dock of the court and held it over his eyes throughout the sentencing. He had pleaded guilty at an earlier court appearance.
The court was told how in January, Thornton was contacted by his pregnant partner, who was living in Palmerston North, and told she could be going into premature labour.
On January 16, Thornton stole his parents' car and headed south from Gisborne.
As he was driving through Wairoa, he misjudged a corner and crashed the car down a steep bank.
A couple stopped to help him and, when Thornton scrambled up the bank, he asked if he could use their cellphone.
Thornton then got into the couple's car and drove away.
He drove to Napier, where he stole petrol, and at about 7.30pm went into the Carlisle Dairy and demanded money, making off with $300 cash. At 6.15am the next day, Thornton was in Wanganui when he was spotted by a police officer in an unmarked car.
A chase started that went from almost one end of the city to the other.
A witness compared the chase, involving Thornton and six police cars, to an American-style cops and robbers show "but without the guns blazing".
Judge John Clapham described the chase as a situation where the police often came under great criticism from the public.
"In this case, the police pulled out of the chase and cordoned off an area in Castlecliff."
Thornton eventually gave himself up.
Defence counsel Quentin Stratford told Judge Clapham that Thornton had full whanau support, although many of them could not be in court because of a family tangi.
However, Thornton's parents and partner were in court to support him.
As well as the jail term, Judge Clapham ordered Thornton to pay $496.91 in reparation and disqualified him from driving for two years.
He described Thornton's actions as "cold-hearted" criminal offending.
"You abandoned those people who had helped you ... it's not like you stole a car off the street ... you first stole your parents' car then the couple's car who tried to help you. You completely abandoned them with no thought for anyone but yourself."
Jail for crime spree
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