No bail for Kaitaia hit and run accused

Police at the Kaitaia crash scene on Commerce St. Bayley Te Kohu Karena Goodhue has been remanded in custody to appear again next month. PHOTO / FILE

The man accused of driving the car that smashed into a bench seat in Kaitaia's main street on January 12 - killing 54-year-old Edward Waenga and then running off - was denied bail last week.

Bayley Te Kohu Karena Goodhue appeared before Judge Greg Davis in the Kaitaia District Court and was further remanded in custody to appear again on February 7.

He has been charged with driving with excess alcohol causing death, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop/ascertain injury, and an unrelated charge of burglary.

No pleas were entered, counsel Doug Blaikie saying he had been assigned under legal aid the day before, and had not yet completed the discovery process. He expected the charges to be "resolved with pleas" at his client's next appearance.

Mr Blaikie applied for bail, saying the defendant would live at his mother's address at Ahipara under a 24-hour curfew. He needed to put his affairs in order, and could not do so if he was in custody.

Prosecutor Sergeant Peter Wackrow said the police maintained their opposition to bail. Goodhue's last conviction had been for breaching supervision, although the main concern was public safety.

"He's a young man but he's hit the ground running. He has acquired quite a few reasonably serious convictions over the last two years," he added.

Mr Blaikie submitted that his client was "full of remorse," and would not do anything to compound his situation.

But Judge Davis noted the defendant had a two-page bail history, and according to the police he had been seen, as a passenger, in the vehicle that struck and killed Mr Waenga two hours before he died. Goodhue had been specifically warned that he must not drive.

"That warning was not heeded, resulting in Mr Waenga's death," he said.