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A young Bay of Plenty woman has made a tearful apology to the family of a teenage girl she killed and two others she injured while driving drunk,saying she would regret her decision to get behind the wheel for the rest of her life.
Karma Jasmine McIvor, 23, was yesterday sentenced to two years and four months' jail for causing the death of Matata teenager Stevie-Rae Marks and injuring Stevie-Rae's cousinsVelvet Marks and Darcy Stoneham.
All three girls were 15 when they were struck by McIvor while walking near their homes last August 29.
The 23-year-old was driving on the wrong side of the road and had failed to heed a warning from a friend not to drive because she was drunk.
Before the judge handed down her sentence, McIvor asked to read a short letter to Stevie-Rae's family and the surviving girls. She choked back tears and took deep breaths to compose herself as she told them how "truly, truly sorry" she was for her decision to drink and drive.
"Through my irresponsible and thoughtless actions I have caused so much pain and sorrow to people," she said. "I will regret what I've done for the rest of my life. I think about Stevie-Rae every day."
Outside the Tauranga District Court, Stevie-Rae's family and the other victims welcomed McIvor's prison sentence, but said they wished it had been longer. "She took my sister's whole, entire life, but she's only getting two and a half years," said Stevie-Rae's brother, Chris, 19.
Stevie-Rae's father, Steven Materi, believed McIvor's remorse was genuine, but he could not forget her actions.
"She chose to drink and drive, which killed my daughter and seriously injured my two nieces."
Stevie-Rae's mother, Rita, said: "It still makes me angry she took a life."
Darcy, who spent three weeks in hospital with a broken leg and concussion, still requires a further operation on her leg and Velvet, who suffered head injuries, said the crash had made her drink and smoke more.
McIvor was almost twice the legal breath alcohol limit when she ploughed into the girls at 11.30pm. She had crossed to the wrong side of the road and was breaking the conditions of her restricted licence by driving at night.
After McIvor hit the girls, she fled, although her bumper was torn off in the impact and the windscreen was partly broken.
She called the police when she arrived at her home, about 10km away.
She pleaded guilty to four charges, including one of failing to stop.
Her victims and their families packed the public gallery for the sentencing; one woman held a photo of Stevie-Rae.
A large contingent of McIvor's family was also present and the court heard that the thin 23-year-old, who had no previous convictions, was now "very unwell". She was said to be on medication and undergoing counsel-ling, and had not had anything to drink since the accident.
Judge Ian Thomas said McIvor had also quit her job, suffered chronic anxiety, and feared going outside.
"The prisoner will have to livewith her own self-imposed life sentence."
McIvor's lawyer, Tony Balme, sought a sentence of home detention, saying she had been "a fine young woman [and] an excellent citizen".
Crown prosecutor Simon Bridges said her conduct was avoidable and, besides causing serious harm to the three victims, had left a "legacy of emotional pain for many others".
He said a prison sentence was required to deter others from acting similarly, and Judge Thomas agreed.
