Ōrewa carpark death: Woman makes surprise guilty plea in death of Joe Hart

Joseph Hart, 41, died after what police called a "vehicle incident" at Victor Eaves Park in Ōrewa, north of Auckland.

A woman accused of reckless driving causing the death of Hibiscus Coast identity Joe Hart has changed her not guilty plea and now admits the charge.

But her name and the full facts of the case will remain under wraps for now.

The woman was charged five months after Hart, 41, was critically injured by a vehicle in a carpark at Victor Eaves Park in Ōrewa early on Saturday, January 7.

He died in hospital the next day.

He was a local identity remembered for his mechanical aptitude, generosity and colourful personality.

Hart attended Ōrewa College and spent his life on the Hibiscus Coast, where his family still live.

The woman pleaded not guilty to reckless driving causing death, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, in her first appearance in the North Shore District Court on June 15.

Tensions ran high at that hearing and she was confronted by people who knew Hart.

Her then-lawyer, Roderick Mulgan, sought and was granted interim name suppression.

He referenced ill feeling towards her in the community, criticism of the woman on local social media pages and an incident in court before her appearance.

“Feelings are running high,” he said.

“She’s already been menaced this morning. It really is that nasty.”

The woman was remanded on bail until today when she appeared before Judge Terence Singh.

She stood in the dock as she entered a guilty plea to the charge of reckless driving causing death.

Her name suppression continues until at least 5pm on September 5 to allow her lawyer time to file an application for continuing suppression if she wishes.

Judge Singh remanded the woman on bail until her sentencing on November 29 at 2.15pm in the North Shore District Court.

The agreed summary of facts to which the woman pleaded has not yet been released so the Herald is unable to report the details of the case and the police findings.

The woman and Hart had met in the carpark that night.

Details of how he died are murky but Hart somehow ended up under one of the cars, suffering serious and ultimately fatal fractures and other injuries.

Detectives from the Waitematā CIB, together with Serious Crash Unit specialists, spent months trying to piece together what happened.