Kevin Bishell was sentenced to two years and six months' jail when he appeared in court in November 2019 for the death of Olivia Keightley-Trigg. Photo / RNZ
A dangerous driver who killed a teenage girl in a head-on crash later spoke of his desire to beat his drug addiction and change his criminal ways.
However, when he reached the crossroads of rehabilitation and relapse, Kevin Ronald Bishell stayed on the same troubled road — eventually repeating the kind of offence that led to the fatal crash.
Last week, Bishell was sentenced in the Hutt Valley District Court for dangerous driving, after being clocked at 190km/h.
He was also sentenced on numerous drug charges and another driving offence.
His latest brush with the law follows the death of Olivia Keightley-Trigg, 18, on August 28, 2018.
On that morning, the ute Bishell was driving ploughed into the teen’s vehicle head-on, leaving her dead at the scene.
Bishell, now 45, was travelling 113km/h when he attempted a passing manoeuvre heading south on Devon Rd, near Waitara in Taranaki.
He crossed the double yellow centrelines and travelled straight into the path of the teen’s car.
The Taranaki man, who has several previous convictions for careless driving, one just three months before the crash, passed a roadside evidential breath test but while at hospital, he refused to provide an evidential blood sample.
A coroner went on to find the collision was entirely his fault.
Keightley-Trigg’s mother, Suzie Keightley, told NZME after Bishell’s sentencing last week that their family hoped no other innocent life would be lost to Bishell’s “dangerous pattern”.
“Our daughter’s life was stolen, and nothing can change that,” she said.
“People can change - but only if they truly want to.”
She said Bishell may say that he wants to change, but his actions told a different story.
“Until that willingness is real, repeated chances put others at risk.”
After serving a prison sentence of two years and six months for the fatal crash, Bishell breached a release condition by testing positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine and cannabis.
In 2022, he sat down with NZME and broke his silence about his life of crime, which included witnessing the fatal police shooting of his best friend, and other high-profile offending.
Talking about the death of Keightley-Trigg, he said it had shattered him.
He was at the hospital being treated for injuries he sustained in the crash, including a fractured sternum and a concussion, when police arrived to deliver the news of her death and arrest him.
Bishell told NZME he accepted responsibility for what happened and spoke of being a drug addict, and how he was working towards becoming clean.
He also said he did not want anything more to do with “authorities” and wanted out of the system.
However, in August 2024, Bishell was driving a Mercedes on State Highway 1, in Pūhoi, when police clocked him on a speed detection device travelling at 190km/h for one kilometre.
The Search and Surveillance Act was then invoked and officers found he had 2.24g of methamphetamine and 17g of cannabis.
Then, two months later, he was in New Plymouth and, yet to be sentenced on the August matter, he was stopped by police and suspended from driving until February 2025 for exceeding the demerit point limit.
However, at 12.45am on January 4, 2025, Bishell drove his Mercedes in Upper Hutt, where police stopped him at a petrol station.
Subsequent checks showed his licence was suspended, and a search of his vehicle took place.
Officers found a backpack in the front passenger footwell containing 6.8g of methamphetamine and 15.93g of cannabis plant.
He also had three cannabis seeds, a used drug pipe, a separate mobile phone, a set of scales, several empty Ziplock bags, a memory card and $2000 cash.
Bishell refused to provide the police with a passcode for a seized tablet and acknowledged he was not meant to be driving.
He told police that the drugs found were all for his personal use.
In court last week, he was sentenced on the two matters, after admitting driving at a dangerous speed, driving while suspended, possession of methamphetamine for supply, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and the seeds, possession of drug utensils, and failure to carry out obligations in relation to a computer search.
Defence lawyer Shanna Bolland said a presentence report repeatedly referred to Bishell’s motivation as “waning when it’s no longer of use to him”, which she submitted was unfair.
“The nature of addiction is that sometimes addicts use and sometimes they try not to,” Bolland said.
Bishell was “doing his best”, she submitted, adding that he had demonstrated insight and “tangible commitment” to the rehabilitative process.
She said he completed a month in an intensive outpatient programme, and has been trying to get into a residential programme.
Referring to a letter Bishell had penned for the court, Judge Andy Nicholls said it showed Bishell’s insight into why he “reacted the way he did” when he was under stress, and his recent efforts at rehabilitation.
The judge said Bishell’s recent offending was largely about drug addiction, and his rehabilitation was front and centre of the sentencing exercise.
“I accept that Mr Bishell has said before that he’s up for rehabilitation, but, nevertheless, there have been some concrete steps taken and there is more in the works.”
In sentencing Bishell, Judge Nicholls took a starting point of 30 months’ imprisonment and then allowed credit for his guilty pleas, one month spent in custody and six months on electronically-monitored bail.
Bishell’s end sentence of 18.5 months’ imprisonment was then converted to nine months of home detention.
He was also disqualified from driving for one year and an order was made for the destruction of the drugs and utensils.
Tara Shaskey is an assistant editor and reporter for the Open Justice team. She joined NZME in 2022 and has worked as a journalist since 2014.