Racer found guilty of manslaughter

After six days of evidence, a jury last night found Bethlehem 17-year-old Christopher James Copping guilty of the manslaughter of Scott Finn.
Copping showed little emotion when the verdict was read out just before 8pm in the High Court at Rotorua. The jury had deliberated for about 3 hours.
Copping was not driving the car that struck and killed 20-year-old Mr Finn during an illegal street drag race in Aviation Ave in the early hours of May 19, 2007.
The jury accepted the Crown's evidence that Copping and Tauranga man Jeffrey Luke, 20, had raced back towards the starting area at high speed, almost side by side, before Luke's turbo-charged Mitsubishi Galant VR4 struck Mr Finn.
Several witnesses also testified the two drivers had been going faster than 100 km/h, ``pretty much' side-by-side, moments before the crash.
Mr Finn, one of two race starters, had his back turned, talking to a friend sitting in his car, when he was hit as the two cars made their return run.
Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones told the jury that Copping, as a party in the ``competition of speed', encouraged Mr Luke's dangerous driving, and was therefore equally liable for Mr Finn's death.
Copping's actions after the crash were also that of a guilty man, having moved his car from the scene, and being ``economical' with the truth.
Luke, who gave evidence against Copping during the trial, told the court that he and Copping were racing ``hard out' together and estimated his own speed about 130 km/h.
Shortly after the crash Copping had said to him, ``don't tell the cops I was racing' before leaving the crash scene. Luke had earlier admitted a manslaughter charge and been sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment. He had recently been released.
Copping's lawyer, Paul Mabey QC, did not call any defence evidence, nor did Copping testify.
But Mr Mabey argued the evidence collectively showed there was ``a chase' but ``no race' involving his client, and that was supported by Luke's own statement to police that he had been playing ``catch-up'.
Copping claimed he was cruising back to the start line when Luke sped past him, cut in front, swerved to the left and hit Mr Finn, and he was about two car lengths back at the time.
Mr Mabey suggested Luke had wanted to ``bring Copping down' because he had gone to jail.
Mr Mabey urged Justice Paul Heath to grant Copping bail pending sentence and argued for a sentence of home detention, given Copping's age, circumstances and his role in the offending.
Justice Heath told Copping that granting him bail was not an automatic right, but he was prepared to, in the interests of justice.
Copping is subject to a curfew at his parents' home between 6.30pm and 7am from Monday to Friday, and a 24-hour curfew on the weekend. He can only drive to and from work.
He will be sentenced on September 26.