Stewart James Wilson was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court on June 9 and July 14. Photo / NZME
The driver of a ute that fled the scene of a head-on crash in Mount Maunganui that left four people with serious injuries - and filed false reports his vehicle was stolen - has had his prison term converted to home detention.
After the April 22, 2022 crash on Maranui Rd, Stewart James Wilson, 55, of Karapiro, failed to help his injured victims.
Two of the victims were left trapped inside their Jeep while Wilson picked up crash debris and tools that fell out of his ute, then fled on foot.
Two days after the crash, Wilson called police to report his ute stolen. He made a false report to his insurance company on April 26.
Three days later, Wilson also filed a written complaint with the police about the alleged theft.
A witness identified Wilson as the ute driver from a photo montage.
Police found seven rounds of 303 calibre ammunition and 14 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition in the ute.
Wilson was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court on June 9 by Judge Paul Geoghegan to 23 months and three weeks in prison after he earlier pleaded guilty to eight charges.
Wilson was convicted of four counts of careless use of a motor vehicle causing injury, and a further charge of failing to render assistance to his victims.
He was also convicted of one charge each of unlawful possession of ammunition, attempting to use a document and making a false complaint to the police.
Judge Geoghegan’s sentencing decision has been released to the Bay of Plenty Times.
It revealed that Wilson drove his Volkswagen ute across the road into the path of an oncoming Jeep carrying a family of five.
Both vehicles sustained extensive damage with the right front wheel assemblies torn off, but Wilson managed to free himself.
Rather than assisting the occupants of the Jeep, Wilson picked up debris and tools on the road then fled the scene on foot.
The Jeep was occupied by two parents, who were trapped inside and their three children in the rear seat.
The parents and two of the children suffered significant injuries. Their identities are suppressed.
The Jeep driver underwent surgery for a fractured and dislocated wrist joint.
The other parent was knocked unconscious and sustained a fractured nasal bone, a rib fracture, an internal brain bleed, and a severed liver, and spent six days in hospital.
The two injured children also spent several days in hospital - the youngest sustained severe concussion, an eye displacement and severe bruising from the seatbelt.
Their sibling was treated for an acute fractured sternum, and a suspected rib fractures.
Judge Geoghegan said victim impact statements emphasised the psychological and physical impacts of the crash on the complainants.
“For the mother, she has developed depression, anxiety and has trouble sleeping. She is obviously anxious that her children were subjected to this unnecessary accident.”
He said the children referred to their concerns for their parents and their own anxiety.
“The father has referred to the fact that the Jeep was written off and he is still paying it off.
“Like the other members of the family, he has suffered psychologically from what has occurred.”
Judge Geoghegan said it was clear from one of the four pre-sentence reports there was an element of Wilson tending to shift blame to the Jeep driver in a “rather speculative and unacceptable manner”.
He said the report stated Wilson was able to offer remorse and empathy for the injuries sustained by his victims.
Wilson told the report writer he had “no recollection of the accident” and stated that was possibly due to sustaining a head injury.
He reported his memory of that night was “extremely vague” and in explanation for his offending stated he consumed alcohol at a pub.
Judge Geoghegan said it was evident Wilson did not take full responsibility for his offending.
He said there was a “high level of victim blame” in the multiple statements Wilson made about his belief the other driver was partly to blame for the crash due to being intoxicated.
Judge Geoghegan said there was “absolutely no evidence” of that before the court.
He said despite significant delays in the sentencing hearing due to Wilson’s absconding and failing to appear for sentencing earlier, no uplift to the end sentence would been imposed, but he added two months for his previous convictions.
Wilson was sentenced to 23 months and three weeks in prison after allowing a 25% discount for his guilty pleas, and was granted leave to apply for home detention.
He was convicted and discharged on the ammunition possession charge and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 18 months.
In the Tauranga District Court on Monday, Wilson had his prison sentence converted to 10 months and 23 days’ home detention by Judge Geoghegan.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.