Passenger recorded pursuit before fatal crash

A teenager who admitted manslaughter over a fatal Christchurch police pursuit says his friend in the car’s front seat recorded the pursuit on his cellphone.

The 17-year-old, a farm worker who was on a learner licence, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and another charge of reckless driving causing injury in the High Court at Christchurch yesterday.

Kenneth McCaul, 64, was killed when his car was T-boned by the driver, who ran a red light while fleeing police at speeds as high as 90kmh, at the intersection of Idris and Glandovey roads in Fendalton shortly after 4am on October 22.

The judge continued the teenager’s interim name suppression as well as his bail. He will be sentenced on December 16.

The driver told police after the crash his friends were encouraging him to flee from police, and his friend in the front passenger seat recorded the pursuit on his cellphone.

He admitted breaching the conditions of his learner licence by consuming alcohol, carrying passengers, and driving after 10pm.

McCaul’s husband, Owen Fraser, said he did not go to court yesterday because he did not want to see ‘‘the person that killed Kenneth’’.

He was pleased to hear that the teen had admitted the manslaughter charge.

‘‘It’s really taken the rest of my life away . . . he’s ruined my life from now on,’’ Fraser said.

‘‘We had so many plans for what we were going to do. He’s just ruined it all.’’

Fraser said he held no blame towards police for pursuing the fleeing driver.

‘‘The person they were chasing should’ve had enough bloody sense to stop. You can’t give up on doing that – it would just end up like a riot on the roads.’’

Members of the teenager’s family were in court. His mother broke down in tears when her son pleaded guilty.

McCaul was critically injured in the crash, and died shortly after arriving at hospital.

He was on his way to Christchurch Hospital, where he worked in the phlebotomy department, to secure a parking space and then sleep in his car before starting work at 7am.

The chase began when the defendant failed to stop for police on Papanui Rd after officers noticed the car being erratically driven. Police said he ran at least three red lights during the pursuit.

The teen’s car hit McCaul’s on the passenger side, shunting it sideways across the opposite lane of traffic and into a stone wall on the opposite side of the intersection.

All five teenagers in the car were admitted to hospital. One, a 17-year-old, broke his neck and remains in an induced coma.