Drug-driver sentenced to five years’ jail for killing two people
The No 2 courtroom at New Plymouth was nowhere near big enough yesterday to meet the demand of those wanting to see justice handed down to a methamphetamine addict whose reckless driving killed two people.
Before the doors were opened the public waiting area was filled with family and friends of Maraea Arano, 63, and Te Matangi Broughton, 23 – the two victims of Jacob John Greacen.
A longstanding drug addict, who had racked up dozens of criminal convictions over his own tragic life, Greacen wept as he was led into court to be sentenced on charges of causing death and injury while under the influence, as well as possession of more than 7g of methamphetamine found in his car.
The charges stemmed from an early morning crash that not only claimed Arano and Broughton’s lives, but severely impacted three others in the car who were also left with horrific injuries.
Heading south to Taranaki about 1.20am on November 22, 2022, Greacen, 35, was driving with so much methamphetamine in his system, it was measured at 15 times above the point considered high risk to be on the road.
Heading to Auckland from Hāwera at that same time was a car driven by Broughton’s partner Destiny Arano, 22, the granddaughter of Maraea, who also had her two young siblings with her.
Travelling at a speed estimated to be between 107kph and 130kph, Greacen crossed the centre line near Motunui in North Taranaki, impacting with the oncoming car.
As he stood continually crying in the dock yesterday, Greacen heard from one of the young victims in the car who visibly carried the scars from the crash.
He also had to face Arano, who laid out the massive impact his actions have had on her, her immediate family and wider whānau.
Unable to control her emotions near the end of her victim impact statement, she turned to Greacen and unleashed a tirade of abuse that led to Judge Gregory Hikaka threatening to stop further statements being read.
After assurances there would not be a repeat, and after Arano was led out of court, the statements continued before Crown prosecutor Rebekah Hicklin addressed the court.
Hicklin said Greacen’s offending, which had happened while he was bail on separate drugs charges, had caused immense physiological and emotional harm which continued to have an impact to those who survived.
Defence counsel Ron Mansfield, KC, could offer little in mitigation, apart from Greacen’s genuine remorse and difficult upbringing, which saw him introduced to drugs at an early age, as well as the abuse he had suffered at the hands of a family member.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Hikaka explained the discount he had afforded Greacen for his remorse and guilty plea, eventually landing on a sentence of five years’ jail.
However, the sentence was cumulative on the two-and-a-half-year jail sentence that was imposed on him for previous drug offending, the charges he was facing while on bail for at the time.
He was also disqualified from driving for five years.