Sakura Hall, 2, died in a crash at Mamaku on May 22.
Sakura Hall, 2, died in a crash at Mamaku on May 22.
A man accused of drugged driving causing a 2-year-old girl’s death near Mamaku in May has retained name suppression for now.
The man appeared in the Rotorua District Court today and pleaded not guilty to drugged driving causing the death of Sakura Hall.
It was alleged he had nearlythree times the high-risk level of cannabis in his blood.
His lawyer, Andy Hill, said he had not received full disclosure, or evidence, from the police yet, including the serious crash report.
Hill said the not guilty plea was not an indication of how the case might proceed, but he needed all the information before his client could make an informed decision.
Sakura was a passenger in a vehicle allegedly driven by the accused when it collided with the back of Rotorua Lakes Council contractor Smart Environmental’s rubbish truck on Dansey Rd shortly before 8am on May 22.
A charging document supplied to the Rotorua Daily Post alleged a blood sample taken from the man after the crash, contained evidence of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. It alleged the concentration of THC was 8 nanograms per millilitre of blood. The legally defined high-risk level is 3 nanograms.
The Land Transport Act 1998 charge carried a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of $20,000.
Police at a cordon on Dansey Rd on the day of the crash. Photo / Ben Fraser
Sakura was five weeks from her third birthday when she died.
Her uncle, Jesse Tamm, said in a statement at the time that the circumstances of her death were “too heartbreaking to comprehend”.
The statement said she was a vibrant spirit with a gentle heart and bright future.
It said her death left her family in deep shock and sorrow.
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.
