Mother of dead teen ‘shattered’ by crime
A MOTHER whose son was killed in a highspeed crash says she is ‘‘shattered’’ to hear the driver responsible is back in court.
Trey Terere Mananui Church (24) appeared before the Dunedin District Court last week where he was fined $400 and banned from driving for 28 days (alcohol interlock to follow) on a charge of drinkdriving.
The hearing was unremarkable in itself and in sentencing, Community Magistrate Simon Heale mentioned the defendant had no convictions since 2016.
But the consequences of that crime, in which one of his best friends was killed, are still being felt.
Church was 17 when he overtook two cars at speeds of up to 90kmh in a 50kmh zone on a stretch of road in Turangi, NZME reported.
He lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree, causing critical injuries to himself and his two passengers. Church, his cousin Zane Church and friend Orlando Bell were all flown to Waikato Hospital.
Mr Bell died 24 hours later from brain injuries.
The judge at sentencing said there were elements of racing involved and noted there were small amounts of alcohol and cannabis detected in Church’s system.
The teen driver was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention and 150 hours’ community work — a noncustodial sentence, thanks in part to support from an unlikely source.
Mr Bell’s grieving mother Laurie Taute was a prison officer at the time of the 2016 sentencing and asked that Church not be locked up.
‘‘I’d seen a lot of young people go in for that sort of thing and come out worse off,’’ she said.
‘‘I knew my son wouldn’t have wanted that.’’
The pain Ms Taute experienced and the prospect of coming across Church meant she moved away from Turangi.
Hearing about his most recent crime and the fact he had recorded a breath alcohol reading of 823mcg — more than three times the legal limit — brought her anguish flooding back.
‘‘I’m really shattered that he’s landed himself in this predicament again and it’s sad to hear, particularly now he’s a dad,’’ Ms Taute said.
She was left with precious memories of Mr Bell, the secondoldest of her seven children.
‘‘He was a hard worker, not squeaky clean but he was my rock,’’ she said.
‘‘My son was the most beautiful, and I love him with all my heart and I miss him every day.’’