Aron Templeton appeared in the Invercargill High Court on Tuesday. Photo / Ben Tomsett
A 20-year-old Southland man has been convicted of manslaughter after a fatal crash killed his close friend.
Agricultural contractor Aron Templeton appeared before Justice Cameron Mander at Invercargill High Court this morning, where he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and causing injury while driving with excess blood alcohol.
An alternative charge of causing death while driving with excess blood alcohol was withdrawn after the guilty pleas.
Templeton, who did not apply to extend earlier name suppression, had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and an alternative charge of drink-driving causing death at an appearance last year.
The charges followed a February 15, 2025 crash on the Niagara-Tokanui Highway, Southland, that claimed the life of Jack Victor Hugh Stephens, 20.
Reading the summary of facts, Crown prosecutor Mike Brownlie outlined how Templeton, then 19 and on a restricted licence, had spent the day crutching lambs with Stephens and an 18-year-old associate.
The group later went to the Tokanui Tavern, where Templeton consumed the equivalent of about 16 standard drinks, including “four big size bottles of beer, corresponding to around 14.8 standard drinks” on top of “two stubbies” earlier in the day.
About 7.45pm, a local police officer conducted a routine hotel check at the tavern, speaking with bar staff and patrons.
The officer’s marked patrol car remained parked in the tavern carpark.
The tavern’s duty manager asked Templeton about his plans to get home and whether he had a sober driver.
He said his mother was going to pick them up.
The tavern’s courtesy coach was also available to patrons throughout the evening.
About 8pm, Templeton began sending video messages to an associate discussing the officer’s presence at the bar.
In the messages, he said he was unsure whether he should drive home immediately or wait until the officer left before driving.
About 8.05pm, he filmed the officer at the bar.
In that video, he said he was going to find where his car was parked because he was going to drive home.
At 8.10pm, Templeton filmed himself in the carpark after spotting the patrol car.
In the video, he said: “f**k you c***. You can go get f****d. I’m gonna f****g double back on you, c***. You’re gonna go the back roads, and I’m gonna go the back roads and you can go get f****d”.
The Crown summary said he was “visibly intoxicated” and “slurring his words”.
About 8.20pm, Templeton told the two passengers to leave the bar and walk up McEwen St towards the Tokanui-Niagara Highway.
He said he would get his vehicle and pick them up.
He left the tavern, got into his 1997 Toyota Hilux and drove from the carpark while the patrol car remained parked there.
He collected the two passengers at the corner of McEwen St and the highway.
One sat in the front passenger seat and the other in the rear. None were wearing seatbelts.
During the drive, one of the passengers filmed as they yelled, “We’re running from the cops, we’re running from the cops”. Police were not pursuing the vehicle.
The video showed Templeton crossing the centre line while driving.
Templeton was travelling between 113km/h and 127km/h in a 100km/h zone, with an advisory speed of 75km/h for an approaching bend.
He failed to negotiate the curve, lost control and the ute rolled into a paddock.
Templeton and Stephens were thrown from the ute.
Stephens suffered “unsurvivable blunt force injuries” and died at the scene despite prolonged CPR.
A blood sample taken more than 6.5 hours after the crash showed Templeton had 130 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
The summary estimated his level at the time of the crash was “at least 189mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood”.
The legal limit is 50mg per 100ml of blood for drivers aged 20 and over. Templeton was 19 at the time of the crash.
The second victim suffered injuries including a laceration requiring three sutures.
Templeton declined to comment to police.
He has no previous convictions and works as an agricultural contractor.
Templeton was formally convicted on the two charges.
Justice Mander called for victim impact statements and a pre-sentence report, and directed that inquiries be made into the possibility of restorative justice.
Templeton was granted bail on his existing terms ahead of sentencing.
He will be sentenced on June 29.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.