A senior Tauranga policeman's son kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and led his dad's colleagues on two high-speed chases, the first abandoned when the speedometer topped 170km/h.
However, the pursuit resumed when Ryan Matthew Bielby was seen about an hour later, ending when the 20-year-old crashed through a farm fence.
In Rotorua District Court on Thursday morning, Bielby was sentenced to what Judge Phillip Cooper called a "pretty merciful" six months' community detention.
Quoting from the victim impact report made by Bielby's captive, Judge Cooper said she had been terrified by her ordeal.
He noted the 17-year-old and Bielby had met up so he could return her bag.
They'd driven around for about an hour but when she asked to be taken home Bielby refused to let her out of his car, holding her wrists so tightly the chain around one her cut into her flesh.
She had also been bitten on the back. However, defence lawyer Ian Farquhar submitted the bite was in response to one from Bielby's captive.
He said Bielby had shown genuine remorse, was turning his life around and if sentenced to home detention he could react like a "caged lion".
Bielby had moved to Waikanae, was trying to get his life back on track and had a job.
He is the son of Senior Sergeant Ross Bielby, the officer in charge of Tauranga police station.
Judge Cooper gave Bielby credit for his early guilty pleas to kidnapping and assault charges.
He was convicted and discharged on a charge of failing to stop. All the offending was committed near Tauranga on February 14 - Valentine's Day.
In addition to the community detention that has a 7pm-6.30am curfew, Bielby is to undertake 300 hours' community work and be under intensive supervision for 12 months.
He also has to attend non-violence counselling and a Corrections Department intervention programme.
He's forbidden from associating with his victim unless his probation officer says he can and is disqualified from driving for 12 months.
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