One of the country's top judges has rejected an emotional plea from the grieving family of the man killed by his best mate not to send the accused to jail.
Michelle Shepherd, mother of Dan, 19, who died in a drunken road crash, told Judge Jan Doogue that a jail term would serve no purpose.
Judge Doogue told the grieving family that their plea was remarkable.
However, Campbell Gorrie had caused the death of a young man.
He had also been caught driving while disqualified for the third time.
Home detention was not an option in this case, the judge said.
She sentenced Gorrie to two years' imprisonment for drink driving causing death and careless driving causing death - and an extra two months for
driving while disqualified.
Gorrie was also disqualified from driving for two years.
Judge Doogue said that, while she understood Mr Shepherd's death had been a tragedy for both families, she had to have regard to the law because drink-driving was an offence that people committed "time and time again".
Gorrie had been charged after an accident about 9pm on October 17 last year on Matapouri Rd.
Gorrie had been driving despite being disqualified from driving less than three weeks earlier.
Judge Doogue said Gorrie began drinking beer with other friends, including Shepherd, at an address in Ruatangata about 5.30pm on October 17.
About 9pm, they decided to go to Sandy Bay, and Gorrie got behind the wheel because a sober driver had left the house.
Three kilometres from their destination, Gorrie lost control on a moderate right-hand bend, the vehicle slid off the road and ploughed into a tree.
Shepherd, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was trapped inside and died at the Whangarei Hospital six days later from head injuries.
Gorrie recorded 701 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - almost five times over the 150mcg limit for drivers aged under 20.
In court yesterday, families of both sides introduced themselves to Judge Doogue and wept openly during sentencing.
Defence lawyer Arthur Fairley said Gorrie pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, was "deeply remorseful" for his actions and co-operated with police.
He said Ruatangata was a close-knit community and both families have had informal meetings since the tragedy.
Ms Shepherd spoke in court, saying the three boys made a bad decision to drive after the sober driver left.
"I wanted to come here because the only person who couldn't be here and speak was Daniel.
"Our families have come a long way and sending him to jail will serve no purpose. Nothing will change the fact that we've lost our son," she said.
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