Offender’s self-destructive life takes a turn
It was tempting to “throw away the key” for a 26-year-old offender whose joyride in a stolen taxi was tracked on the car’s GPS, said a judge.
Brody Omar Spencer simply drove away in the taxi on September 18 while it was parked for a pick-up, and went driving around Christchurch and Woodend while the 70-year-old owner fretted that his valuable car and his retirement plans were all gone.
Christchurch District Court Judge Raoul Neave called Brody Omar Spencer an imbecile but decided to take a chance on him at his sentencing on a long list of charges.
The taxi was recovered undamaged and Spencer, an Aranui bricklayer, had pleaded guilty to 12 charges relating to a series of incidents.
He admitted speeding off when police tried to stop him on a motorcycle at Pines Beach. He drove at 90km an hour through a residential area and then got away by speeding along Kairakei Beach where families were enjoying the day. Police gave up the pursuit.
Spencer explained that his mentality was “just to run from the police”.
When he had an argument in public with his partner, a passer-by stopped his car to try to help.
Judge Neave said: “Your reaction to his Good Samaritan was to go over and punch their door causing a significant amount of damage.”
He admitted reckless driving, failing to stop for the police, driving while forbidden, intentional damage, theft, unlawfully taking the taxi, and breaches of release conditions and several breaches of bail for failing to appear at court.
Judge Neave noted that there were now signs in the pre-sentence report that Spencer was ending his self-destructive behaviour. Before that “it was tempting to lock you up and throw away the key”.
He said that changes were evident from Spencer’s increasing age, the positive effect of his relationship which had got him involved in the wider family, his building of trust, and opening up to talk about his past.
“There is some suggestion that you have begun to see the consequences of your actions on other people,” said the judge.
He ordered two years of intensive supervision, and disqualified Spencer from driving for nine months, with a required three additional months for not stopping for the police. He also ordered him to pay reparations of $1745 for the damage.
Spencer will be back at court in three months for a judicial monitoring report to Judge Neave by probation to check on how the sentencing is progressing. The judge warned him that a prison term would be imposed if there were any problems.
Category: News
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