Manslaughter after ‘race’ ends in death

A man has been convicted of manslaughter following a motorbike ‘‘race’’ which reached speeds of 240kmh on a rural Southland road.

Jacques John Francis De Reeper, a 64-year-old sickness beneficiary, admitted charges of manslaughter and dangerous driving when appearing before Justice Doogue in the High Court at Invercargill yesterday.

De Reeper was riding with two associates, when one crashed and died at Otahuti after failing to take a bend at high speed on April 13, 2019.

Police at the time named the person who died in the incident as Garth Robinson, 56.

A police summary of facts says witnesses at a nearby milking shed heard the sound of screaming engines, with one likening it to a formula one race car travelling at high speed.

‘‘Both witnesses looked towards the Argyle-Otahuti Road and saw the defendant [De Reeper] and the deceased [Robinson] travelling at high speed in what they described as a race,’’ the summary says.

‘‘The deceased was seen overtaking the defendant and moments later they witnessed the deceased crash.’’

The deceased reached a speed of 240kmh when he passed De Reeper, the summary says.

Camera footage on the deceased’s 1300cc Suzuki motorbike later revealed he had then applied his back brake, but was unable to negotiate the corner and crashed through a fence and came to rest in a paddock.

Emergency services arrived but his condition deteriorated and he died as a result of his injuries.

De Reeper had been travelling at about 192kmh ahead of the fatal crash, the summary indicated.

During the day, there had been several occasions when all three riders overtook other vehicles or each other on double yellow lines, the camera footage revealed.

It also revealed the high speeds travelled at – at one stage De Reeper had passed the deceased at 188kmh after they had left the Orepuki Cafe, with the deceased then accelerating to catch up and passing another motorbike at 216kmh, the police summary says.

The ride had started at 3pm, when the trio left Invercargill and headed to the Orepuki cafe, arriving about 4pm and staying for 45 minutes. On the return journey towards Invercargill, in dry weather conditions, they travelled through Tuatapere, Otautau and Isla Bank before travelling south towards Otahuti, where the tragedy unfolded.

De Reeper later told police he believed the cause of the crash was due to [Robinson] failing to apply his front brake.

De Reeper also told police he had personally not exceeded 100kmh on the day of the tragedy.

When invited to make another statement after the video footage emerged, he stood by his original statement.

Justice Doogue convicted De Reeper and remanded him on bail ahead of sentencing on June 3.

‘‘The deceased was seen overtaking the defendant and moments later they witnessed the deceased crash.’’ Police summary of facts