Driver who killed three 'should have got life'

Raymond John Hansen will serve at least five years in jail for the manslaughter of three young Hawera people killed in a fiery accident.

The incident was described in the High Court at New Plymouth yesterday as one of the worst cases of its kind in New Zealand's history.

The 39-year-old Eltham farmhand was sentenced to nine years' jail for the manslaughter of Aaron Hurley, 22, Paul Donald Cowper, 21, and Rochelle Lee Meads, 22, with a minimum non-parole period of five years.

Justice Paul Heath also sentenced Hansen to two years' jail for drink-driving causing injury to Kurt Johnson and Erin Downs, and one month's jail for dangerous driving. All sentences are to be served concurrently. He was disqualified from driving for four years after his release from jail.

People were forced to stand in the public gallery as friends and family of the victims, the two survivors, and Hansen's supporters crammed the High Court.

All sat in silence as Hansen bowed his head to the sentence handed down by Justice Heath. Hansen was led away to the sound of his 4-year-old son crying: "Daddy, daddy, I want a cuddle."

The emotional impact of Hansen's driving could be seen immediately outside the court.

Families of the three killed huddled together, some crying while others consoled Mr Johnson and Miss Downs who declined to comment on the sentence.

Mr Johnson had struggled into court on crutches, showing the effects of the horrific crash that claimed the lives of three of his friends when Hansen's car ploughed into the van he was driving, causing a fire so intense it destroyed the van and melted the tarseal on the Normanby overbridge.

Others in the group expressed anger that Hansen did not receive a life sentence.

"It should have been life," one man said. "But it doesn't matter, no sentence would be long enough."

Earlier, the court heard evidence from the two constables who had chased Hansen through Normanby just an hour before the fatal accident.

The evidence was called after Hansen's defence lawyer, Barry Henderson, disputed some of the facts leading up to the accident.

Constable Lincoln McCrea said he was forced to pull over to the side of the road to stop his hands shaking and slow his adrenaline after reaching speeds of 180km/h on the Normanby straight before the pursuit of Hansen was terminated for public safety reasons.

But Hansen told the court "I've never been a speedster".

It was, he said, ridiculous to suggest he would ever go as fast as 180km/h.

Justice Heath, however, said evidence provided by police and witnesses had proved he had in fact reached that speed while also dangerously overtaking.

Crown prosecutor Cherie Clarke said there were several aggravating factors in Hansen's offending, including the fact that he had had two previous drink-driving convictions in 1991 and 2003.

Hansen, she said, deserved no reduction in sentence, despite saving Mr Johnson's life by pulling him out of the wreck.

Mr Henderson said Hansen would honestly change places with any of the victims if he could.

In defending Hansen, Mr Henderson said he had only consumed three bottles of Steinlager which would account for the low alcohol reading of 114mg per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

He said Hansen's speed at the time of the collision, estimated at between 107km/h and 126km/h, was not grossly excessive given the limit on the bridge was 100km/h.

Justice Heath told Hansen he would have to live with the fact that his actions had taken human lives and he would one day have to answer to a higher authority than him.

"It is close to the worst case of its type to come before the court," he said, taking a starting sentence point of 12 years, before reducing it to nine because of Hansen's early guilty plea.

- NZPA