Twenty-two-year-old Phillip Bruce Ray Bannan is in custody awaiting sentence in the High Court at Christchurch after admitting two deaths caused by his dangerous driving.
He admitted the manslaughter of 73-year-old Norman Richard Fitt, and 67-year-old Deidre Valerie Jordan, who were killed as he fled from a police traffic stop along Fitzgerald Avenue on August 26.
The guilty pleas were entered in the Christchurch District Court today before Judge Stephen Erber who remanded Bannan in custody and issued a first-strike warning under the tougher new sentencing laws.
He ordered a pre-sentence report, reparation report, and victim impact statements to be prepared for the sentencing in the High Court on December 15.
Further charges of driving while disqualified, drink-driving, and dangerous driving were remanded to the same date without plea to be dealt with in the district court.
Police prosecutor Anselm Williams said Bannan had been disqualified for nine months on a drink-driving charge in June.
He was drinking wine at his home in Akaroa on the afternoon of August 26. He had bought three bottles of wine from the supermarket on two occasions that day.
About 5pm he packed an overnight bag and set out for Christchurch in a car that was unregistered and had no warrant of fitness.
He stopped at the Halswell Tavern on the way and bought more alcohol.
About 8pm a police patrol clocked him driving at 89kmh along Ferry Road, and followed him with the lights flashing. Bannan turned onto Fitzgerald Avenue and continued at excessive speed.
He stopped his Ford Mondeo for a red light at St Asaph Street with the police behind him, but when the lights turned green he accelerated away.
He overtook a vehicle and moved across two lanes, striking another vehicle and causing moderate damage.
He braked but drove through a red light at Worcester Street, accelerating away from the police chasing him.
He approached the red light at Gloucester Street, failed to stop, and struck a Daihatsu Terios crossing the intersection.
The Daihatsu flew several metres into the air and spun before crashing onto the road.
Bannan's car crossed the raised traffic island, narrowly missed other vehicles, and crashed into a fence.
Mr Fitt died immediately from high impact injuries to his head, chest abdominal organs, spine and limbs.
Mrs Jordan died en route to the emergency department at hospital from high impact injuries to her chest, abdominal organs, and pelvis.
Bannan was treated at hospital for a minor head injury and an injury to his spleen.
A blood sample showed a level of 174mg of alcohol to 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
Bannan said he had a couple of glasses of wine to drink in Akaroa and with a friend in Christchurch.
"He said he did not stop for police because he did not have his licence on him and knew his vehicle would get impounded," Mr Williams told the court.
"When spoken to about the crash on Gloucester Street, the defendant said he was distracted by what was going on in his rear vision mirror - the police lights and siren - and did not realise he had run a red light.
"He acknowledged that he knew there was a risk of people being injured or dying due to his speed and running red lights."
Police are seeking reparation for damage to the first car Bannan hit and the fence he crashed into.
Elizabeth Bulger appeared as defence counsel.
