Robert Francis Taylor, 30, appeared before the High Court at Dunedin this morning, more than nine months after the incident which claimed the life of 26-year-old Michael John McClelland.
The court heard how the driver fled the scene following the South Dunedin crash, leaving the victim dying and his other three mates injured in the wreck.
Taylor was found by a police dog unit and a blood-alcohol test revealed a result of 153mg - more than three times the legal limit.
He and the others had been drinking when they ran out of alcohol and hatched the plan to burgle a nearby liquor store.
Taylor drove a stolen Mazda to the Bottle-O in Hillside Rd and waited in Helena St as two of his colleagues used bolt cutters to access the shop's storage area.
They loaded seven crates of beer into the car but while they were doing so, a member of the public confronted them and called police.
A patrol unit saw Taylor, driving with the headlights off, turn into Hillside Rd and signalled for him to stop.
He accelerated away through residential streets, almost hitting another motorist at one stage.
Taylor sped along Melbourne St - a narrow road - and hit the kerb while negotiating a chicane designed to slow traffic.
It caused the Mazda to spin clockwise, skidding out of control at up to 92kmh.
Court documents said the vehicle mounted the kerb, careened through a driveway until it slammed into a power pole and a concrete wall.
The brunt of the impact was taken by the rear left of the car, where Mr McClelland was seated.
He died at the scene.
When police arrived at the crash site, they found one man trying to climb out of the wreckage, another ran off and was apprehended at a nearby cordon, a third was unconscious.
Taylor was found hiding by a police dog, the court heard.
Thomas Bridgman, 25, pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to eight months' home detention and 100 hours' community work.
The other man accused of breaking into the liquor store has pleaded not guilty.
The fourth passenger had charges against him dropped.
Taylor, who had been on bail, was convicted of manslaughter and burglary this morning and remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing in June.
