NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Rotorua judge corrects sentence error in Hemana Morgan-Edmonds' double fatal crash case

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
19 Feb, 2025 03:27 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

MP Simeon Brown has gained the health portfolio from Dr Shane Reti, and Hamas has released its first three Israeli hostages as a ceasefire begins. Video / Mark Mitchell, AFP

A drugged driver who crashed into an elderly Rotorua couple, killing them, has had seven months added to his prison sentence after a District Court judge got the maths wrong at sentencing.

It’s the second time in two weeks Rotorua District Court judges have erred when adding up discounts and uplifts during the sentencing process.

Hemana Morgan-Edmonds when he was originally sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on February 3. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Hemana Morgan-Edmonds when he was originally sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on February 3. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Hemana Morgan-Edmonds was jailed by Judge John Bergseng on January 20 for three years and nine months for offending including a crash that killed Jan and John Christensen in Rotorua on December 18, 2023.

Jan and John Christensen died in a crash caused by Hemana Morgan-Edmonds on Te Ngae Rd on December 18, 2023.
Jan and John Christensen died in a crash caused by Hemana Morgan-Edmonds on Te Ngae Rd on December 18, 2023.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Morgan-Edmonds' sentence was made up of three years and seven months for the crash that killed the Christensens plus a further two months jail for more driving-related offending while on bail.

The case was recalled in the Rotorua District Court on Tuesday after Judge Bergseng realised he got it wrong. He said the law allowed him to correct sentences where there had been an acknowledged accidental slip or omission.

The mistake was made when calculating the percentage reductions for mitigating factors. These included 5% for Morgan-Edmonds' young age, 10% for factors in his background and 20% for his early guilty pleas.

Judge Bergseng said those discounts added to 35%. When reducing that from his sentence starting point of six years and six months (78 months), he should have calculated a sentence of four years and two months but instead calculated three years and seven months.

Judge Bergseng said the two-month uplift for the offending while on bail remained, which took his proper end sentence to four years and four months.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

‘Disastrous decision’

Judge Bergseng said at sentencing Morgan-Edmonds made a “disastrous decision” that cost the lives of two community-minded people.

He was found to have a cannabis level in his system six to 11 times higher than what was considered high-risk. He had dangerously overtaken a vehicle and was still speeding when the Christensens turned onto Te Ngae Rd from their Hannah Rd home. Their vehicle was struck by Morgan-Edmonds’ speeding car.

Hemana Morgan-Edmonds at an earlier Rotorua District Court appearance. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Hemana Morgan-Edmonds at an earlier Rotorua District Court appearance. Photo / Kelly Makiha

He pleaded guilty to two counts of drugged driving causing death and two counts of drugged driving causing injury — the latter charges relating to two people who were in Morgan-Edmonds’ car who were seriously injured.

On July 20 last year — four months after admitting causing the fatal crash — Morgan-Edmonds offended while on bail. He failed to stop for police and was driving at 120km/h on Fenton St, a 50km/h zone.

The other mistake

Judge Anna Skellern made a mistake when sentencing Mongrel Mob rapper Tihema Nuttall on February 3. Nuttall shot a man in the face in a road rage incident after picking up his children from school in 2021

Nutall, also known as rapper Temm Dogg, was jailed for nine years and one month — despite her calculations showing the sentence should have been seven months longer.

Tihema Nuttall, also known as Temm Dogg. Photo / Andrew Warner
Tihema Nuttall, also known as Temm Dogg. Photo / Andrew Warner

When the matter was recalled in the Rotorua District Court two days later at the request of the Crown, Judge Skellern didn’t change the sentence, saying the end sentence was appropriate despite the mathematical error getting to it.

In that case, Judge Skellern’s starting point was 11 years imprisonment, there was a nine-month uplift for previous offending, a 10% discount for personal mitigating factors and a 12-month reduction for time spent on electronically-monitored bail. The end sentence should have been nine years and eight months’ imprisonment.

But the sentence of nine years and one month will remain.

“I consider the sentence I imposed was an appropriate one ... That was the right sentence for Mr Nuttall notwithstanding the mathematical error,” Judge Skellern said on February 7.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Nuttall was found guilty by a jury of wounding William Merito with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on Te Ngae Rd on August 5, 2021.

Nuttall, who had a loaded firearm in his car, picked up his children from Lynmore Primary School before he had an encounter with Merito while stopped at roadworks.

Nuttall drove alongside Merito and shot him in the face. Merito was forced to pull his vehicle over. He suffered serious injuries to his face, head and eyes. He survived but suffers ongoing sight problems.

Nuttall took the case to trial claiming it wasn’t him but, through his lawyer, admitted at sentencing it was him.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|crime

Woman accused of killing her mother says she delayed calling 111 out of fear she'd 'be blamed'

10 Jul 05:14 AM
Premium
PoliticsUpdated

'Miscommunication': DoC backtracks over call that could have cost 700 jobs at Otago mine

10 Jul 05:01 AM
New Zealand

Frank: Stories from the South – NZ’s Lady with the Lamp

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Woman accused of killing her mother says she delayed calling 111 out of fear she'd 'be blamed'

Woman accused of killing her mother says she delayed calling 111 out of fear she'd 'be blamed'

10 Jul 05:14 AM

"I was scared ... scared I was gonna get blamed for letting her go up to the roof."

Premium
'Miscommunication': DoC backtracks over call that could have cost 700 jobs at Otago mine

'Miscommunication': DoC backtracks over call that could have cost 700 jobs at Otago mine

10 Jul 05:01 AM
Frank: Stories from the South – NZ’s Lady with the Lamp

Frank: Stories from the South – NZ’s Lady with the Lamp

'Hardest worked woman': The extraordinary life of Nurse Maude

'Hardest worked woman': The extraordinary life of Nurse Maude

10 Jul 05:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP