A driver on parole for manslaughter left the scene of an accident that seriously injured a young Waikato woman.
In September 1998 Brendon Reginald Junior Kipa was jailed for four years for the manslaughter of his girlfriend, Wynell Athina Lelievre, aged 15.
He had assaulted her as the pair walked home drunk from a party. She was found unconscious the next day, and died on life support.
In the Hamilton District Court yesterday the 26-year-old Hamilton man was sentenced to 250 hours' community service for his part in a car crash on Whatawhata Rd last year. The crash left Jamie-Lee Norton, 20, fighting for her life in hospital.
Kipa had admitted failing to stop and dangerous driving.
He and four friends began following a Mazda MS-8 in the Hamilton suburb of Dinsdale on the evening of December 6.
As his friends swigged beer, Kipa would tailgate the car, then drop back and race up behind it, the court heard.
The Mazda's driver, Dean Thompson, was so concerned that he pulled over twice to let Kipa's car pass. In the straight before Whatawhata village Kipa pulled up alongside the car. A passenger leaned out a window, yelled abuse and threw a beer bottle. Thompson lost control of the car and crashed into a bank. The impact threw Jamie-Lee Norton from the car.
She was in a coma for three weeks.
Kipa, aware of the crash, drove on.
Eight days later, Kipa and his friends went to police about the crash.
Kipa's lawyer, Douglas Hall, told the court his client had not stopped through panic and because his unruly passengers would have made the situation worse.
"While Mr Kipa created the conditions necessary for the bottle throwing, he had nothing to do with the bottle being thrown," he said.
Judge David Saunders said Kipa had offended while on parole for manslaughter, and already had one death on his conscience.
The judge sentenced Kipa to 250 hours' community work, ordered him to pay $1000 reparation to Ms Norton for emotional harm and $275 for loss of clothing.
He also sentenced Kipa to nine months' supervision and disqualified him from driving for one year.
Yesterday Ms Norton, of Ngaruawahia, who has made a full recovery, said she did not want to dwell on Kipa's sentence.
She said Kipa's behaviour was "definitely not" what you would expect of someone on parole.
- NZPA
New Zealand
