You destroyed us, mum sobs to driver

SENTENCED: Shane William Hart has been sentenced for careless driving causing the death of Masterton 22-year-old Shannon Buick and seriously injuring her teenage sister.

A grieving family have described how their hearts were "broken into a million pieces", as a young driver was sentenced to community work for killing a young woman and maiming her teenage sister.

Shane William Hart, appeared for sentencing yesterday in the Masterton District Court for careless driving causing death and careless driving causing injury.

Hart, 23, crossed the centreline on Paierau Rd, Masterton, slamming head-on into a car containing Shannon Buick, 22, and her sister Kaitlin, 16, who were heading home from work on August 30, last year.

Shannon was killed instantly, while Kaitlin received serious injuries and faces a lengthy rehabilitation.

Buick family members read victim-impact statements, recounting their horror and grief.

Kaitlin took deep breaths and wept as she read hers, supported by her mother Linda and another family member.

The teen has had three operations, awaits another and has experienced months of rehabilitation and "immense pain". But, most of all, there was the pain of never speaking to, or seeing, her sister again, she said.

She had been unable to reach her goal of school Dux: "I felt like giving up on everything ... endless months of treatment and unbearable pain ... the scars will never go away ... you have taken my sister away from me before time. You have taken her right of life ... this will hurt for the rest of my life."

The girls' mother, Linda Buick said she had gone through every emotion, including feeling sorry for Hart and his family.

His actions had ended her daughter's dreams, she said.

"They still have you. You get to live on, to go on to love, to work and to fulfil your dreams. You have destroyed our lives. Our daughter was an amazing daughter, sister and niece. She is lost," she said.

"She will never get to see her dream job, to find love. I wanted so much for her to experience that too. She'll never fall in love or be a wife or mother ... never fulfil her dreams, never give us grandchildren."

August 30 would always be a day of "horror and grief" for the family, Mrs Buick said.

As Kaitlin underwent treatment, the family had kept from her that Shannon had died. They felt torn at the time, "lying" to Kaitlin about that.

"Our hearts were broken into a million pieces ... our beautiful girl was broken," she said.

Sometimes she and husband, Ian, felt "empty, helpless and numb" wanting to curl up into a ball and die.

Mrs Buick said she often asked herself "what have we done to deserve this?"

"You have broken my family. You have taken my Shannon and we will never be the same again ... I feel cheated."

Hart stood looking at the floor throughout the pair reading their statements, often wiping tears from his eyes and blowing his nose.

Defence lawyer Philip Drummond said his client was extremely remorseful about the tragedy. Hart had offered $10,000 in emotional harm to the family.

"He feels responsible for the loss of life. He is heartbroken."

Judge Peter Hobbs said there was a low level of carelessness as there was no alcohol, drugs or speed involved.

It appeared the accident happened in a "momentary act of carelessness" as Hart headed home for the weekend from his job at Whakatane.

Judge Hobbs expressed deep sympathy for the Buick family, saying Hart would have a "difficult cross to bear for the rest of his life".

"No sentence I impose will change what happened ... life is priceless."

He convicted Hart on the two counts and ordered he pay $10,000 emotional harm to the Buick family, sentenced him to 200 hours' community work and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.