Death follows motorbike accident in Thailand

A promising Wairarapa guitarist whose life was shattered when his father was killed in a car crash 20 years ago has himself been killed in Thailand as an indirect result of a motorcycle accident.
Mathew Gay, 35, died of complications through infection after a minor spill from his motorbike in the Chiang Rai region of north-west Thailand.
His dad Peter Gay died when a car in which he was a passenger was involved in a fiery collision at the corner of Moroa Plains Road and Kempton's Line in Greytown in 1989, which claimed the lives of two others.
The driver of the car, disqualified drink-driver Gavin Hawthorn, was badly burned but recovered and was later jailed.
Mathew Gay's mother Susan said her son had taken a huge knock when his father died but had climbed back from adversity and had his life firmly on-track
He had been living in Brisbane where he worked for Telstra Clear but had been on an extended holiday in Thailand, planning to remain there until early next year.
Mrs Gay said Mathew - or Mat as he was always called - had telephoned her soon after he had toppled off his motorbike.
"He said don't worry mum, the bike's okay."
To all intents and purposes Mat was also okay but infection set in to cuts suffered in the crash.
His mother said Mat was admitted to hospital on the night of the crash and then discharged.
Three or four days later his leg was worrying him and this was later to lead to massive infection.
Although details are still sketchy as to what happened from then on Mat was found dead at his home by his girlfriend Sukii on September 8.
Mrs Gay said Sukii - like all of the extended family - had been shattered by the death of a young man who loved life and lived it to the full.
She had been in regular contact with Mat on the day he had died with the couple sending text messages to each other, while she was at work.
"Sukii said the text messages suddenly stopped at 5pm and she came home to find him slumped on the floor."
A phone call was made to Mat's sister Angela, who lives on Australia's Gold Coast who then had the onerous task of breaking the sad news to the wider family.
As siblings Angela and Mat Gay were extremely close.
Mrs Gay said Mat had been born in Lower Hutt but the family came to Wairarapa when he was a young boy.
They lived firstly in Greytown where Mat attended Kuranui College.
His father had been killed when he was only 14 and Mat had struggled for years to overcome that tragedy.
He did a life skills course at Carterton Community Centre and while there he met musician Stefan Brown who got him interested in music.
"Stefan said Mat was tone deaf and would never be a singer but he used to sing anyway and he loved the guitar that he learned to play with the help of his Uncle Rick."
As the proud owner of a base guitar Mat joined several bands and played gigs throughout Wairarapa.
"He lived his dream and kept playing guitar while he was in Australia.
"Then, as he travelled around, he fell in love with making home movies and put his music to them, posting them on Facebook."
Plans are to fly Mat's body back to New Zealand and to have a funeral service for him at the Parker's Road, Carterton, home where Susan and her partner Cam live.
He will then be buried in Clareville Cemetery.