The father of a young Christchurch golfer, who died while apparently drunk in a Dubai police car crash, says his son had hardly anything to drink.
Aaron Mahoney, 24, was killed on January 10 while pursuing his dream of a professional international golfing career.
A Dubai newspaper reported
that Mahoney died when the police car he was in crashed and overturned after he had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly outside the Al Majara Tower apartment complex at Dubai Marina.
The Khaleej Times reported that the police car went out of control, hit another car and overturned when Mahoney, handcuffed, tried to strangle the driver. The young golfer was killed and a policeman seriously injured in the crash.
It later reported that two Dubai policemen had been charged with manslaughter over the incident, but that was discredited when New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) staff confirmed no charges had been laid.
Mahoney's father Paul said the family had obtained a copy of their son's blood test through the Dubai Department of Internal Affairs.
"Blood tests showed he did have a couple of beers, but it showed he hardly had anything to drink," he told The Press newspaper.
"He had the equivalent of three beers. We want to find out where he had them and who he was with. Aaron would never drink by himself."
The family had exhausted all "official channels" to get answers and had come up with nothing, but had not given up hope, he said.
Mahoney had only been in Dubai for two days when the crash happened.
A member of the Russley Golf Club in Christchurch, he was in the United Arab Emirates attending a 10-day course at a golfing academy as a lead-up to his plans for turning professional.
Mahony won several golf championships, including three regional titles in New Zealand, and was a member of the national junior team that competed in Korea in 1991.
- NZPA
