Newstalk ZB
Tensions ran high at the sentencing of a motorist who fatally struck an 18-year-old doing a wheelie on a dirt bike at an intersection. Amal Salad, 40, had earlier admitted careless driving causing the death of jockey Ngakau Sonny Bill Hailey. However, Hailey’s whānau claimed a late change to the police summary of facts - to include reference to the wheelie - was Salad’s attempt to deflect blame. “She doesn’t understand our road rules because if she did, Ngakau would still be here,” Hailey’s grandmother, Linda Gough, said through tears at yesterday’s hearing in the Hamilton District Court. The courtroom friction began before the hearing, as Hailey’s family argued with security over the amount of seating they were allowed. Given the tight space, the families were each allocated half of the public gallery. During the hearing, an emotional Gough claimed in her victim impact statement that Salad had tried to hold up the court proceedings. “I don’t understand how a woman who held proceedings up for six months, claiming she didn’t speak a word of English, is allowed to be driving on our roads.” The hearing was held in the Hamilton District Court. Gough told Community Magistrate Ngaire Mascelle, through her statement, that Salad did not understand the road rules. She claimed Salad had got police to alter the summary to try to take the spotlight off her actions. During his sentencing submissions, defence lawyer Glen Prentice told the court he had sought the addition - not Salad. Several of Hailey’s whānau read their victim impact statements, detailing how their lives had been upended by his sudden death. His mother told Salad that she would never forgive her. “And I will never forget ... I will carry this grief for the rest of my life,” she said. The fatal collision The court heard that on July 9 last year, Salad was travelling east on Mill St in Hamilton at 3.27pm. At the same time, Hailey, 18, was travelling east. The pair were nearing the light-controlled intersection with Anglesea St. Salad was travelling about 20km/h and about to turn right. She had the green light, but was required to give way to oncoming traffic. Hailey came through the intersection on his dirt bike while performing a wheelstand, travelling at between 53 and 57km/h. As Salad turned, Hailey crashed into the left rear of her car. He died of his injuries in Waikato Hospital. He put himself in a vulnerable position - defence Prentice said the crash was a “tragic accident that the defendant did not intend”. “She [Salad] is somebody who has lived in New Zealand for 24 years. “She’s a New Zealand citizen. She is, in all other respects, a law-abiding citizen. Ngakau Hailey, 18, was killed in the Hamilton crash. Photo / NZTR / LoveRacing “While I understand the anger and frustration that the family feel ... it is important to understand that she is for sentencing on carelessness ... and it should never be suggested anything else.” He said Salad simply misjudged Hailey coming towards her. Prentice submitted it was “entirely appropriate” for police to amend the summary of facts to acknowledge the wheelstand. Prentice said he had pursued the addition, not Salad. “And it was entirely appropriate that I did that,” before adding that Salad had pleaded guilty at her first court appearance. He said the court knew “all too well” there was a problem with people riding dirt bikes around not only Hamilton, but “all over the country”. “He decided to ride through that intersection on one wheel ... it is a logical inference to draw, and to invite Your Worship to draw, that if somebody is riding a motorcycle on one wheel and they collide with somebody else, they have put themself in a very vulnerable position.” Prentice said Salad accepted she failed to give way, and he urged M...
Go to News Site