Defendant described as desperate criminal

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 3

Defendant described as desperate criminal

PA Auckland A young man showed callous disregard for life when he caused four accidents during a car chase through West Auckland, the District Court at Henderson was told this week.

Judge Hill told John Henry, aged 19, unemployed, of Glen Innes, that he was a desperate criminal of the most violent kind and sentenced him to three years im-

prisonment and disqualified him from driving for three years. Henry earlier admitted four charges of reckless driving, one charge of reckless use causing injury, the robbery of a $25,000 truck, two breaches of periodic detention, and unlawful conversion of a car valued at $7OO.

The judge said that Henry knocked a truckowner, Mr Rex Wilson, unconscious, tied hitn up and put him on the platform of Mr Wilson’s truck before it was driven to Matauri Bay. When Henry and other associates reached the bay they noticed Mr Wilson was not on the back of the truck. Mr Wilson had awakened, untied himself and jumped off. A few days later the group took the truck to Piha where they stole a surfboard. When the

police approached the truck, Henry rammed the side of the police car.

“You continued to ram the police car until it ended up balancing over

a 30 foot cliff,” the Judge said.

The truck was driven off and chased by another police car through Titirangi and Avondale. It went on to the northwestern motorway via the off ramp at more than 130km/h.

The chase ended when Henry collided with an oncoming van and then another truck. One man was admitted to hospital with serious injuries from the crash. Three vehicles were written off.

Henry’s lawyer, Mr Loukas Nikola, said Henry' realised he was lucky not to face more serious charges. He said Henry was a small-town boy probably over-excited with the city.