The siblings of Viliami Junior Muru-Teutau had to identify his body on Boxing Day 2020 after he died in a car crash. The driver has been sentenced to home detention. Photo / Supplied
The siblings of Viliami Junior Muru-Teutau had to identify his body on Boxing Day 2020 after he died in a car crash. The driver has been sentenced to home detention. Photo / Supplied
Viliami Teutau's siblings had the unimaginable task of identifying his body on Boxing Day 2020.
They stood in a small room and looked at their brother's body through glass, unable to touch him. Then they were ushered out.
Earlier that morning, Teutau, 20, was out partying with friendswhen the silver Subaru they were in crashed into a bridge, throwing him and two others out of the car.
Teutau was the youngest of five children. He loved sports, his friends and family, "everything life had to offer", the sister, who did not wish to be named, said.
He represented New Zealand Māori under 18s in rugby and was playing for a New South Wales country team before coming home in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, to play in the Waitematā Rugby Club's premier team.
He had a 1-year-old daughter and was about to become a father for the second time when tragedy struck.
"There will always be two little girls who didn't get to have their dad in their lives," Teutau's sister said.
Jack Heritage pictured celebrating his 20th birthday shortly before he died in a Boxing Day car crash in 2020. Photo / Supplied
In the early hours of December 26, 2020, Teutau, Finefeuiaki and two other close friends were out celebrating Christmas, driving to McDonald's before heading home.
They had been drinking, and footage on the young men's phones showed they were in high spirits.
Finefeuiaki was driving the group in his car, breaching the conditions of his learner's licence. Only one of them, Simon Alefaio, wore a seatbelt, which would later save his life.
Just before 6am, the car was weaving dangerously between lanes at Te Atatu and Henderson in West Auckland, going at more than 100km/h at times in the 50km/h zone.
As they approached the Momutu Stream Bridge, Finefeuiaki made a hard turn and lost control of the car, which skidded across the centreline and collided with the bridge railing.
The vehicle spun from the impact, hitting the bridge a few more times. Finefeuiaki, Teutau and a third passenger Heritage were thrown out of the car.
Only Alefaio, who had his seatbelt on, remained inside the vehicle, knocked out with a fractured jaw, bruising and abrasions.
Finefeuiaki survived, although he wished he hadn't, he told the packed public gallery of friends and family at his sentencing.
"I'm sorry I made every parent's worst nightmare your reality," he said, addressing the families of his victims.
"I hate myself for still being here - 100 per cent, I'd love to swap places," the 22-year-old said.
When he came to, the first thing Finefeuiaki told paramedics was that it was his fault, his laywer Ron Mansfield, QC, said. He had 106mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his bloodstream.
Four charges were laid in May 2021 and Finefeuiaki pleaded guilty shortly after - two of drink-driving causing death, one of drink-driving causing injury, and reckless driving.
He was sentenced to nine months' home detention with judicial monitoring and 200 hours of community work.
The converted sentence included 25 per cent credit for his early guilty plea, 15 per cent for his youth, 10 per cent given it was his first offence, and another 15 per cent for his remorse, compliance and rehabilitation efforts - including completing an intensive Right Track programme for young drink-driving offenders.
He was also disqualified from driving for three years.
"You are effectively under house arrest for nine months," said Judge Lisa Tremewan.
But she noted the young man would have to carry the burden of what happened for the rest of his life.
The court had received a large number of victim impact statements telling of the "crushing pain" of the families concerned, the judge said.
