Driver jailed for at least 3 years for manslaughter

Jaycherre Makakea died in the crash. Photo / Supplied

A disqualified driver who killed two passengers as he fled from police in Auckland last year was today jailed for at least three years.

Aaron Tulafono, 21, had earlier admitted two charges of the manslaughter deaths of Jaycherre Makakea and Joseph Tawhai, both aged 20, in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga in September last year.

The two died after Tulafono took off when police signalled him to stop, following reports of a laser being pointed at motorists nearby.

Tulafono, who had been drinking and smoking cannabis, reached speeds of 130km/h along quiet residential streets and ignored his passengers' pleas for him to slow down.

"On a wet road, in a 50km/h area, those speeds are insane," Justice John Priestley said in the High Court at Auckland this morning.

Tulafono flew through an intersection and ran a red light, prompting police to abandon the pursuit as it was deemed too dangerous.

Moments later Tulafono lost control and the car struck a roundabout. It flipped onto its roof and skidded across the road, smashing into a power pole on the corner of Church St and Wallace St.

Ms Makakea and Mr Tawhai were killed, two other passengers were injured, one seriously, and Tulafono was thrown out of the car.

Rather than trying to help, Tulafono ran from the scene to his south Auckland home. He turned himself in at a police station later that night after he was struck by the seriousness of what he had done.

Tulafono told authorities he "freaked out and panicked" when he saw the police car coming because he did not want to be caught driving while disqualified.

He had previously lost his licence for driving drunk and was caught driving while disqualified twice prior to the fatal crash last year.

His lawyer, Marie Dyhrberg, said her client was very close to the victims and what he had done would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"All his waking hours he wishes he could turn the clock back; he lives it over and over, and so he should, that's part of his punishment," she said.

"He is genuinely suffering, he is suffering for them."

Justice Priestley said it was becoming all too common for people to try to outrun the police.

"I for my part consider fleeing the police by drivers is something which has reached epidemic proportions. In your case the consequences were catastrophic.

"What you were doing that night, Mr Tulafono, was reckless and stupid and as a result of your stupidity two young people have lost their lives, and the void that has left in their families is huge."

He sentenced Tulafono to 6-1/2 years' imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of three years, and disqualified him from driving for 5-1/2 years.

- NZPA