Taranaki teen avoids conviction for illegal skid causing injury

A woman was hit by a car performing an illegal manoeuvre. Photo / 123rf

A Taranaki teen who while performing a "doughnut" at an illegal street racing event struck a woman with his car, pinning her to another vehicle, has avoided conviction for the "silly and immature" act.

Jayden Stuart Hall, 19, had been at a car meet in New Plymouth that drew upwards of 200 vehicles, despite police making earlier calls for it to be cancelled.

The car owners had congregated on October 23 last year to undertake "illegal street racing activity", New Plymouth District Court heard on Wednesday.

While there, Hall drove his Toyota into the middle of an intersection while a mass of spectators stood around and watched on.

He accelerated to intentionally cause his vehicle to lose traction and spin in circles, an act commonly known as a doughnut, the court heard.

Hall continued for several minutes until he hit a patch of diesel and lost control of his vehicle, crashing into a parked Toyota Hilux.

A woman had been standing in front of the ute and was subsequently pinned between the two vehicles.

Hall stopped to offer her assistance but he ended up being assaulted.

He then drove off and phoned the police.

In court, Judge Gregory Hikaka said the woman had been traumatised by the incident, which required her to have knee surgery.

She went on to suffer an infection and financial losses.

But despite what she had endured, the woman had forgiven Hall and, through police, told the court she didn't want him to "get into a heap of trouble".

Jayden Stuart Hall appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Wednesday. Photo / Tara Shaskey

Her views helped Judge Hikaka in his consideration of Hall's application for discharge without conviction.

Hall, who was facing a charge of sustained loss of traction causing injury, had provided an "impressive collection of documents" from "well regarded" people in the community who supported his application.

But despite those people speaking of his good character and maturity, describing him as responsible, kind and thoughtful, Judge Hikaka somewhat disagreed.

"I don't consider that this is mature behaviour. I don't consider that you're the great man that people have painted you as," he said.

"But I do consider that you have that potential moving forward. We can't be both a great man and then do something as silly and immature as what you did."

Judge Hikaka said comments made by Hall at a restorative justice conference had minimised his offending.

Hall had said the incident was the result of "two seconds of madness and peer pressure".

He never anticipated he would crash and he had enjoyed performing the doughnut.

"I got too big-headed."

Judge Hikaka said he needed to grow up.

However, in respect of a conviction, Hall could suffer significant stigma in the employment market going forward, Judge Hikaka said.

He found the consequences of a conviction outweighed the gravity of the offending, and granted the application.

While free of conviction, Hall was still disqualified from driving for 12 months which would serve as an "ongoing reminder of the foolishness of this sort of behaviour".