Struggle after mother’s murder
The son of murdered woman Tracey-Anne Harris used drugs and alcohol to cope in the wake of her death, a court has heard.
Jade Christopher Harris, 24, was sentenced in the Nelson District Court on Tuesday on charges including failing to stop for red and blue flashing lights, driving while disqualified, possessing a pipe for methamphetamine, breaching conditions of intensive supervision and bail.
Lawyer Lucy Patchett said the past few years had been very stressful for Harris, following the murder of his mother and the subsequent trial of his cousin, Tyler Baillie. ‘‘As a result he turned to alcohol and drugs to cope.’’
Harris’ mother, Tracey-Anne Harris, was found dead in her home in February 2016. After a two-year investigation, Rose Morgan and Tyler Baillie were jointly charged with her murder.
The pair were found guilty after a trial last August and both received a life sentence, with a minimum of 17 years in jail.
On August 7 last year, Harris was driving in Main Rd, Stoke, when police noticed he was travelling at 74 kilometres per hour in a 60kmh zone. Police turned on their lights to stop his vehicle but Harris accelerated, driving on the wrong side of the road to pass several vehicles. He stopped to give way at a roundabout in Nayland Rd where he was arrested by police. Then in the early hours of October 9, Harris was found in Richmond after a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He was searched and three glass pipes and two small point bags were found in a bag around his waist.
Harris told police he smoked meth earlier in the day and that he made glass pipes and the ones on him belonged to his friends.
Patchett said a pre-sentence report showed Harris had also experienced an unstable and traumatic childhood. He had been diagnosed with depression and was receiving treatment on and off. Since being in custody he had been able to stabilise his treatment and planned to undertake counselling upon his release.
‘‘He is looking to start over and get his life back on track and spend more time with his daughter who is here in Nelson.’’
Last March, Harris was sentenced to intensive supervision on several charges, including six of wilful damage, two of failing to answer bail and one of driving while disqualified but he failed to co-operate with the sentence and was remanded in custody. On all charges, Judge Tony Zohrab sentenced Harris to six months in prison and disqualified him from driving for 18 months.