Deer-hunt killer sobs in court as he pleads guilty

Andrew Mears outside the Taupo District Court yesterday. Photo / Alan Gibson

As he was called to stand in the dock, Andrew Mears let out a groan, hung his head and started sobbing.

The 25-year-old motor trimmer from Hamilton appeared in the Taupo District Court yesterday charged with carelessly using a firearm causing death.

He was charged after he mistook Lower Hutt teacher Rosemary Ives for a deer at a campsite and shot her dead on October 22.

In front of a packed media gallery and with Mears' family in the court, his lawyer, Roger Laybourn, said his client had "no issue" with the facts of the case.

He immediately entered a guilty plea, but the Crown said it was considering laying a more serious charge against him.

Police prosecutor Andrew Allerton told the court that Mears arrived at the Urchin campsite on Kaimanawa Rd about 15km south of Turangi about 8.30pm that evening and set up his tent.

He had obtained a permit for a hunting trip with three of his friends in the Kaimanawa Ranges the next day. A clause in it prohibited hunting after dark.

Around the same time, Miss Ives and her boyfriend of four years, physicist Adam Hyndman, were nearing the end of their trip from Lower Hutt to the Kaimanawa Ranges.

The pair had planned a rock-climbing trip over the long weekend.

Mr Allerton said Mears had not planned to go shooting that night but his friends said they had seen deer along Kaimanawa Rd.

The group set off in their two-door Toyota Hilux.

One had a powerful torch to spot the animals and Mears had his Remington .243 rifle.

Meanwhile, Miss Ives and Mr Hyndman arrived at another Department of Conservation campsite on Kaimanawa Road about 10pm.

Having set up their tent, the pair walked to the nearby toilet block to brush their teeth.

Mr Allerton said the campsite where Miss Ives and Mr Hyndman were staying was not visible from Kaimanawa Rd where Mears and his mates were, but Mears "did not follow any of the accepted procedures" in identifying what he thought was a deer.

Mears had seen the light of Miss Ives' head torch when he fired a single shot at her.

The bullet passed through the edge of her mouth.

As Mr Hyndman began yelling for help, Mears and his friends, who had no cellphone coverage, rushed back to their own campsite to raise the alarm.

Mr Hyndman tried for 90 minutes to keep Ms Ives alive, but she had a "substantial and unsurvivable" brain injury and, despite the arrival of paramedics, she died at the scene.

Mr Hyndman would not comment on Mears' court appearance when contacted by the Herald yesterday.

Outside the court, Mears was rushed away by his family.

In a statement that has been sent to Miss Ives' family, Mears apologised for the "dreadful loss" he had caused.

"Every second of the day I wish that I could turn the clock back. I just want to wake up and wish it never happened.

"I know this is selfish, and it will be with me forever."

Mears said he would take "full responsibility" for what had happened and would try to make the court process as painless as possible for the Ives family.

Mr Laybourn said Mears was prepared to accept whatever punishment was imposed - even the likelihood of a prison sentence.

A decision on whether he will face another, more serious charge is to be made by the Crown Solicitor's office in Rotorua.

Mr Laybourn said that even under the charge Mears had admitted - and regardless of whether a more serious charge was laid - the provision for serving a term of imprisonment was there.

Mears was remanded on bail until November 18.