Jason Tuitama fatal hit and run: Cass Maguire’s father opposes rugby club’s liquor licence renewal to end ‘nightmare’

The father of a young woman killed in a horror hit-and-run in central Wellington says he is opposing the renewal of a liquor licence for the rugby club her killer was drinking at that night, with hopes he can “move on from this nightmare”.

Jason Tuitama was jailed earlier this year for four years and four months, having pleaded guilty to manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, driving with excess breath alcohol and failing to stop for police.

He was four times over the drink-driving limit and had previously been banned several times from driving when he ploughed through a red light and hit two pedestrians at a crossing in the early hours of June 18 last year.

Casidhe Maguire, known as Cass, died in hospital several weeks later. The other pedestrian suffered serious injuries, requiring several operations.

Casidhe’s father, Paul Maguire today said Tuitama and the Johnsonville Rugby Club he was drinking at before the fatal crash, were “collectively responsible” for his daughter’s death.

He made the comments during a Wellington District Licensing Committee hearing on an application by the club to renew the liquor licence for its clubrooms.

Maguire has formally opposed the renewal.

In his statement, he explained they had been attending a family wedding in Wellington on the night of June 17th for Casidhe’s uncle.

“At the end of the night, Casidhe said she just wanted to go home to her baby, and left with her partner to catch a taxi. That was the last time we saw her alive. About 15 minutes later she was dead, killed by Tuitama heading into town after a night of heavy drinking at the Johnsonville Rugby Club,” Maguire told the committee.

“Casidhe was only 28. Her death has had a profound effect on so many people. I’m sure you can all imagine the horrific effect of losing your daughter, partner [or] sister in these circumstances, and of course her baby son, with no mother at just 13 months old.”

While Tuitama had pleaded guilty, Maguire said he wanted to focus on the club’s involvement, “and then hopefully I can move on from this nightmare”.

He said alcohol was not being served responsibly that night.

“The team members sitting around Tuitama who were plying him with alcohol are responsible. The club executives on duty that night are responsible.

“The ... bar managers on duty are responsible. Everyone who saw Tuitama heavily intoxicated and did nothing are responsible.”

Maguire said it was hard to believe nobody on duty that night noticed how drunk Tuitama was.

“Tuitama is responsible, but ultimately so is Johnsonville Rugby Football Club. They are collectively responsible for the death of my daughter. Johnsonville Rugby Football Club must not have their licence renewed.”

Earlier today, a bar manager who was on duty the night of the incident gave evidence that she had not seen Tuitama buy any drinks.

The Johnsonville Rugby Football Club at Helston Park. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Amy Mahu said she did not serve Tuitama or notice him being intoxicated, despite the fact he was seated at a table right in front of the bar.

At an earlier day of the hearing, club chairwoman Susan Poutoa said there was a blazer presentation at the club on the day of the incident for those who had played 25 games – Tuitama being one of them.

While the club has since accepted that Tuitama became intoxicated on its premises, Poutoa said it was her observation on the night there was no indication he was.

At today’s hearing, Mahu said her son had received a blazer in the presentation alongside Tuitama, so if Tuitama had come to the bar she would have recognised him. She said she did not see him come to the bar and did not serve him or notice him becoming intoxicated.

Mahu said a large part of her job included monitoring customers for signs of intoxication, and that she would cut people off if they became rowdy and obnoxious.

“We’ve got rowdy guys at the club who I monitor all the time. The ones that just sit there and do nothing and just drink, to me, is fine,” she said.

Maguire asked Mahu about the fact Tuitama was sitting with a team at a table by the bar “right under your nose”.

He questioned how Mahu did not notice his intoxication near the end of the night when there were only about 60 patrons left in the bar.

Cass Maguire died several weeks after being critically injured in a hit-and-run on Cable St, Wellington.

She said if the group was quiet she was not concerned, and that she was focused on her tasks as bar manager as it was a particularly busy night.

“So the quiet ones can carry on and get plastered and you don’t do anything about it?” Maguire asked.

Mahu agreed in some cases this would be true.

She did not know how he became intoxicated without coming to the bar, she said. Tuitama told police his friends were buying him drinks through the night.

The hearing, which is scheduled for three days, will finish next week after a short break.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.