Repeat drink-driver admits causing motorcyclist’s death

A 70-year-old repeat drink-driver has pleaded guilty to causing a motorcyclist’s death while driving more than three times over the drink-drive limit.

Maurice John Wardle, who has multiple convictions for drinkdriving, pleaded guilty in the Palmerston North District Court on Friday to driving drunk causing the death of 25-year-old Daimon Sattrup and injury to Samantha Harwood.

The crash occurred at 5.45pm on Boxing Day 2016 on the Manawatu¯ River Bridge, near Ashhurst.

Wardle was driving his Toyota Hilux ute from his home in Dannevirke towards Ashhurst, while Sattrup was riding a Suzuki motorcycle in the other direction.

They both got on the bridge about the same time, with Sattrup riding between a Mazda and a Holden.

The driver of the Mazda was in front, and saw Wardle’s ute go into the opposite lane of traffic.

They flashed their lights at Wardle, slowed down and pulled as far left as possible on the bridge.

Sattrup overtook the Mazda, staying in his lane the whole time, and crashed into the front of the ute.

The ute carried on, striking the Holden, driven by Harwood, before flipping and coming to rest on the bridge.

Sattrup suffered fatal injuries, while Harwood suffered bruising and a hairline fracture in her right hand.

Wardle was taken from the ute to hospital, where a blood test found him to have 158 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The drink-drive limit is 50mg.

Wardle was remanded on bail until December for sentencing, with the possibility of restorative justice to be explored.