An Auckland liquor store owner is counting himself lucky that nobody was injured when his store was robbed by five teenagers overnight.
The teens, aged between 15 and 17, led police on a dramatic 65-kilometre chase around the city before finally being arrested in south Auckland.
Greenhithe Liquor Centre store owner Pinakin Patel is grateful damage to the store wasn't worse.
"I'm pretty sure if we didn't have the bollards, they would have driven straight in and the mess they would have created would have been unreal."
Police were called into the break-in shortly after midnight.
Afterward, they spotted the stolen car driving toward the city on the Northwestern Motorway.
It continued through south Auckland, with the occupants hurling bottles of stolen liquor at police and at one point driving the wrong direction on the motorway.
Police spiked the car's tyres, but the teens continued on, despite only being able to reach a speed of 40km/h.
The five teens were arrested after trying to make a dangerous U-turn.
It's one of three police pursuits over the last few days.
"They will not get away with it," says Police Minister Judith Collins. "Police will get them, as they have, in these situations, and they're going to find out the consequences of their actions are pretty severe."
For Pinakin Patel, he's counting himself and his staff lucky, and is just pleased the teens have been caught.
"They need to be dealt with and taken to task for what they do. It's just senseless."
The teens appeared in youth court on a variety of charges and will reappear at a later date.
Newshub.
