Tauranga killer jailed

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The Papamoa man who admitted the manslaughter killing of a Russian national on a Tauranga road has today been jailed for six years eight months.

Raymond Green, 33, last month admitted one count of manslaughter relating to the death of 33-year-old Ilya Olegovich Kojevnikov on Welcome Bay Rd on February 2 last year.

Mr Kojevnikov died after being struck by a car driven by Green at high speed, who then failed to stop and drove off at excessive speed back to his home.

Green appeared before Justice Christian Whata in the High Court at Tauranga today for sentence following his jury trial last month when he defended one count of murder.

After the Crown had closed its case, Green offered to plead guilty to manslaughter.

Green earlier pleaded guilty to two further charges - driving while disqualified and refusing an enforcement officer's request to provide a blood specimen (both third or subsequent offences).

These charges stemmed from the same incident.

Justice Whata told Green he was satisfied that the aggravating features to his offending demanded the imposition of a minimum non-parole period of 50 per cent.

Green was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for seven years from March 21.