The mother of drink-driver Gavin Hawthorn doesn't think her wayward son is capable of changing his ways.
Maria Guildford has washed her hands of her first-born, having nothing to do with him for at least five years.
Hawthorn holds what is believed to be an odious New Zealand record: his driving has killed four people .
In 1989 Peter Maurice Gay, 36, and John Lebus Kaukau, 32, died when they were passengers in a car driven by Hawthorn that collided head-on with another car.
Bob Stevens from Martinborough, who was in the other car with his wife, Ngaire, was badly injured and died 15 months later soon after undergoing reconstructive surgery.
On Monday a jury in the High Court at Wellington found Hawthorn guilty of the manslaughter of Lance Fryer, 34, of Carterton on June 4 last year. Justice MacKenzie remanded Hawthorn, 41, in custody for sentencing on May 28.
Just before last year's crash, police clocked Hawthorn south of Greytown doing 167km/h.
He was then calculated to be doing more than 98km/h in a 50km/h zone when his Mitsubishi Galant slid sideways on to the wrong side of the road and hit a power pole.
The impact ripped the pole from the ground and crushed the side of the car, trapping Mr Fryer.
He was dead before he reached hospital.
From her Southland home yesterday Mrs Guildford said her son had hurt so many people around him - "people who have tried to help him".
In particular she singled out Dave and Margaret Taylor, of Greytown, who had given Hawthorn a job on their poultry farm soon after the 1989 crash, while he was recovering from his injuries.
Mrs Guildford said Hawthorn had had counselling.
"I have long said 'when will he ever learn?' I don't think he ever will."
Mrs Guildford said Hawthorn was not a problem child when he was growing up in Greytown and Papawai.
His troubles rose from being spoiled by older relatives, and having bought a motorbike when he was about 15.
"It all started from there. He used to tear all over the place and he became car mad."
She said somewhere along the way Hawthorn obviously developed a drinking problem.
Hawthorn is one of four children Mrs Guildford had to her former husband and said she thinks some of his siblings keep in touch with their brother.
She has built a new life for herself in Southland with her husband, Bob Guildford, formerly of Martinborough and Greytown.
The couple have children of their own who are "doing well both in sport and academically".
Mr Fryer's father, Gary, said yesterday that he hoped the judge would hand down the maximum sentence to keep Hawthorn off the roads and out of the community.
"We feel some sort of relief now there is a conviction and sentencing will be the final chapter.
"We're happy we got a conviction, this is the first stage and gets him out of the community.
"I just hope he gets the biggest sentence he can get, we want the longest sentence to keep him out of the community," he said.
- NZPA
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