Sentenced for hitandrun killing
AUCKLAND: An Auckland teenager has been sentenced to home detention after killing a 15yearold in a drunken hitandrun — and later posting an insensitive social media post of herself in an orange prison jumpsuit.
Air force cadet Nathan Kraatskow (15) died when a learner driver hit him at an Albany intersection on May 18.
Driving the Mercedes was 19yearold Rouxle Le Roux, who had drunk wine and smoked cannabis earlier in the day.
When Nathan crossed the intersection, riding a small bike and wearing headphones but no helmet, the Mercedes ploughed through the crossing, sending him across the bonnet and into the air. He landed some distance away and died at the scene.
Le Roux, meanwhile, and her two passengers slowed down before she was told not to stop and continued driving.
Distressed by the crash, Le Roux pulled over and one of her passengers, a 21yearold named Sam, took over and drove the damaged car to a friend’s house.
Sam and a group of friends then returned to the scene in another car and saw police attending to Nathan. They did not stop.
Le Roux’s group of friends later saw news reports of someone having died as a result of the crash, while Le Roux’s mother told her daughter to get some rest before going to police in the morning.
But the next day, Le Roux’s mum and Sam first went to a panel beater to seek advice about what to do with the damaged car.
About 16 hours later, Le Roux and both her passengers went to police.
She was sentenced in the Auckland District Court yesterday by Judge Nicola Mathers.
Nathan’s mother said her firstborn was a caring and loving young man with a bright future.
‘‘I wake up every morning hoping this is a dream,’’ she told the court. ‘‘Then I realise it is real.’’
When she found out the driver responsible for her son’s death was also a teen she ‘‘actually felt sorry for her’’.
However, she was horrified when she was sent a Halloween Instagram post of Le Roux wearing an orange prison jumpsuit with the caption reading: ‘‘Hide your children’’.
‘‘I just could not understand how someone could be so heartless and think this whole thing was a joke,’’ she said.
However, the judge did accept Le Roux was genuinely remorseful. She said there was ‘‘no purpose’’ in sentencing her to prison
Le Roux will serve 11 months’ home detention alongside a sentence of 250 hours’ community work, and was disqualified from driving for two and ahalf years. — NZME