No bail for crash accused

A man accused of causing a crash which killed a Taranaki teen has had a bid for electronic bail rejected by a judge.

Yesterday, Kevin Ronald Bishell appeared via audio-visual link from Whanganui prison in the New Plymouth District Court.

At the hearing, defence lawyer Paul Keegan made an application for Bishell’s release from prison on electronically-monitored bail.

Bishell previously pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death, possession of cannabis, possession of utensils to smoke methamphetamine and refusing to give a blood sample following his arrest after an August 28 crash on Big Jim’s Hill, State Highway 3, near Waitara, which killed 18-year-old Olivia Renee Keightley-Trigg.

The 37-year-old also pleaded not guilty to a charge of encouraging another man to drive at a dangerous speed.

This is unrelated to the fatal crash and is alleged to have occurred on March 10 in the Hawke’s Bay.

Police opposed Bishell’s release on bail and after hearing submissions, Judge Gregory Hikaka denied the application.

He remanded the accused to re-appear in court on November 22 for a case review.