Lee made an ‘ill-fated decision’ to drive
On January 11 Lee walked from a nearby shop to his car parked on Eden St.
Despite feeling unwell and thinking he was having another episode of dizziness, Lee got into his car and drove west on Eden St. He was seen veering to the left and up onto the pavement, where he hit Booth, causing her to fall to the ground.
He carried on driving along the footpath and hit Cowley, knocking him onto the bonnet, over the vehicle and back onto the footpath.
Lee ran over the foot of a third pedestrian, a 14-year-old girl, before heading back onto the road and over the junction of Thames St and Eden St, where he was struck by a southbound vehicle.
The crash spun his car around and over the centre median, where it came to rest.
Lee told police he had suffered a medical event and could not remember anything after getting into the car.
Defence counsel Michael de Buyzer said Lee had "clearly made what was an ill-fated decision to get into his motor vehicle".
"He failed to have regard to the alternative options that were potentially available to him, he could have either sought some assistance, could have got a taxi home ... contacted a family member."
De Buyzer said Lee had been left "devastated" by what had happened, and had destroyed his licence two days after the crash.
Despite any ban that might be imposed, he had resolved never to drive again, de Buyzer said.
Judge Maze echoed de Buyzer’s sentiments.
"It would have been a five dollar taxi ride, and Oamaru being Oamaru, you could have crossed the road again to alert someone to come and help you."
Judge Maze said Lee also had to accept the impact of defending the charges for so long.
"You must accept moral responsibility to adding to the distress of the victim by delaying your guilty pleas until now.
"The delays have compounded the impact upon each of these victims and in some instances very considerably."