Police officers stand outside the Johnstone St property where Sharkahn Laris-Harmon, 19, crashed his vehicle into a fence after a police pursuit around Masterton last October. PHOTO/FILE
The 19-year-old man behind a string of offences around Masterton last October, which led to the closure of two schools and the mistaken identity arrest of a 16-year-old Makoura College student, has now pleaded guilty to all charges.
Sharkahn Laris-Harmon, from Masterton was due to appear for a judge-alone trial before Judge Bruce Davidson in the Wellington District Court on Monday morning in relation to one charge of assault with a weapon – a car – against a police officer.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of failing to stop, escaping police custody, reckless driving, driving while forbidden and aggravated assault related to headbutting another officer and was due for sentencing on these in the Masterton District Court later this month.
An earlier charge of aggravated robbery relating to a theft at the Masterton Gull petrol station was withdrawn by the Crown in February.
Instead,on Monday, his defence lawyer Ian Hard entered guilty pleas to all charges after a sentence indication being given and accepted.
The charges all related to an incident on October 25 last year, in which Laris-Harmon fled police twice in pursuits which were later abandoned due to dangerous driving.
While officers attempted to arrest him, he headbutted an officer, leaving marks on the policeman’s face.
Judge Davidson convicted Laris-Harmon of all charges and remanded him on bail until his next appearance in July.
