Teenager admits to death of boy racer

A teenager who killed Scott Finn during a street race in Mount Maunganui in May was speeding on the wrong side of the road and driving an illegally modified turbo-charged car.
Mechanic Jeffrey Luke, now 19, of Brookfield, and his 16-year-old co-accused who has automatic name suppression, were jointly charged with manslaughter after the 20-year-old's death on May 19 in Aviation Dr.
The pair were due to appear at a depositions hearing in Tauranga District Court tomorrow to establish whether there was a case to answer.
But yesterday Luke, through his lawyer Tony Balme, pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter before Judge Russell Callander.
Crown prosecutor Rob Ronayne revealed that when Luke was interviewed by police following the fatality, he made a number of admissions.
Luke had told police he believed he had just changed from third to fourth gear and estimated the speed to have been between 130 and 150kmh. He had not seen Mr Finn before he ploughed into him.
He also admitted police had previously ordered his turbo-charged Mitsubishi Galant vehicle off the road due to suspension modifications, which he then had repaired and recertified.
But Luke confessed the weekend before the illegal street race he had removed the recertified suspension and re-installed the old one.
Mr Ronayne told the court the tragedy unfolded in the early hours of May 19 after a large group of people congregated in Aviation Dr for the drag meet.
Among them was Greerton man Mr Finn, who was one of two drag meet "starters".
The first starter held the cars until the road was cleared then set vehicles off on a rolling start towards the second starter who would signal the driver of the competing vehicles to go.
Mr Finn, the second starter, was standing about 100m from the intersection of Aerodrome Rd and Aviation Dr.
Luke, sole occupant and driver of a Mitsubishi Galant, agreed to race another vehicle.
Both drivers raced along Aviation Dr away from the intersection. When they reached the cul-de-sac the two vehicles did a U-turn and drove back towards their starting point.
Luke's vehicle was in front and was travelling at high speed.
Mr Finn was standing next to a stationary car with his back towards the two racing vehicles when he was struck by Luke's VR4 which was travelling on the wrong side of the road. Mr Finn was thrown into the air, landing some distance away. He died instantly from multiple injuries.
Luke remained at the scene until police arrived.
Luke's lawyer, Tony Balme, told Judge Callander that crash investigators had estimated the average speed of his client's car at the point of impact was 91kmh but clearly that was well over the speed limit for the area.
Judge Callander committed Luke to the High Court at Rotorua for sentencing on October 19 and also ordered that a restorative justice conference be explored with Mr Finn's family. He remanded Luke on strict bail conditions until his sentencing hearing.
A subdued Luke showed little reaction to his possible fate.
The maximum penalty for manslaughter is life imprisonment.
His family and friends who sat silently in the public gallery showed little emotion until Luke was asked to sign the charge sheet admitting his guilt and his parents were clearly holding back tears.
The oral depositions for Luke's younger co-accused is expected to proceed as normal tomorrow, taking at least a day.
Meanwhile, Tauranga City Council has proposed a new by-law which would effectively ban all cars, vans and standard utility vehicles from 62 streets in industrial areas at night.