Driver high on meth sent to slammer

A man who led cops on a slow-speed chase near Queenstown while high on meth has been sent to jail.

The incident began when police spotted a ‘‘vehicle of interest’’ in Arrowtown about 1.30pm on September 29 last year.

Parked next to the vehicle, in his own car, was Daniel Shawn Scott, 36, who drove off when the cops activated their lights.

Police followed as Scott drove along Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Road at between 20kmh to 40kmh.

He almost collided with another vehicle after failing to stop at the intersection with State Highway 6, then continued towards Frankton as
other vehicles backed up behind him.

Near Lake Hayes Pavilion he was driving completely off the road on the left-hand side before swerving back into his lane without indicating.

Passing Howards Drive he swerved across double yellow lines into the opposite lane, nearly colliding with an oncoming truck and trailer.

After his car was spiked near the Stalker Rd roundabout, Scott drove on deflated tyres into Shotover Country, where he abandoned his car in Banbury Terrace and took off on foot, running through two private yards before cops caught up with him.

About 2.2g of meth, a glass bong and a set of scales were found in his car, and he failed a drug impairment test at the Queenstown police station.

ESR analysis of a blood specimen showed he had meth in his system.

Scott, who’s been in custody since the incident, was sentenced in Invercargill’s court recently on charges of dangerous driving, impaired driving, aggravated failing to stop, possessing meth, possessing a meth pipe, and aggravated disqualified driving.

At a sentencing indication hearing in Queenstown’s court last month, Judge Russell Walker said the offending was aggravated by Scott being
on prison release conditions at the time, and his history of similar offences.

It was a matter of ‘‘luck rather than good management’’ he did not seriously injure or kill himself or others, he said.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ and two weeks’ jail, banned from driving for three years, and ordered to pay $835 reparation.

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