Escaper sought after high-speed chase

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 4

Escaper sought after high-speed chase

Nelson reporter

Nelson police watched a burglar and his" associate load a safe into the boot of a car and .when an attempt was made to stop the car leaving, a high speed chase ensued which ended ■ almost 100 km away on the French Pass Road," Judge Headifen was told in the District Court, Nelson, yesterday. Peter Richard Fitzgerald aged 24, an unemployed hair dresser, admitted that with lan Charles Thompson hr broke and entered thr Tahuna Trading Company 01. Monday night, and that with Thompson he also attempted to break and enter the Richmond Trading Company. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of driving dangerously. Fitzgerald was remanded in custody. Sergeant D. Allen said the defendant, Thompson, ant the defendant's de facto wife travelled to Richmond oi, Monday evening and abou> 11.40 p.m. the defendant’s associate Thompson attempted to break into the Richmond Trading Company's building while the. defendant kept watch outside. However, they were disturbed and left Richmond.

About 12.35 a.m. yesterday louvres were removed from a rear window of Tahuna Traders, the iron bars forced and a safe taken from its concrete base. They took the safe to the waiting car on a trolly, and, watched by police, lifted it into the' boot, said Sergeant Allen. When the police intervened the car drove off at high -peed with police cars in pursuit. The vehicle was stopped three times, and on >ne of these occasions the defendant’s vehicle rolled back on to a police car and igain drove off at high speed. The vehicle was finally stopped between Okiwi Bay and Elaine Bay on the French Pass Road, where the defendant was arrested. His associate ran off into the bush and was still being •fought. The vehicle contained a njmber of instruments used in burglary, said Sergeant Allen. The defendant said there was no intention to come in contact with the police vehicles during the chase. He had great difficulty in controlling it because, of the heavy safe in the boot. The occasion on which the

car rolled back on to the police car was accidental. He had wanted to stop the car but his associate had urged him to keep driving, the defendant has told the police, said Sergeant Allen. The background to these events outlined in the police summary, was that the attempted burglary at Richmond was seen by a passer- / who took the number of le vehicle and notified the jolice. The police arrived to ;ee the second burglary takng place and the chase endued.

The car used by the burglars was pursued at high speed over the winding Whangamoa hills by three oolice cars, two of which were scraped and dented during the chase. The woman in the car was released by the police. A police patrol was searching the are* throughout the day but the other man had not been discovered by late afternoon. He is described as a male Caucasian, aged 21, 1.7 m (sft lOin) in height, Wearing blue jeans with silver patches on the knees, possibly a black sweatshirt and sneakers, and a grey-and-white check sports coat.