Teenager’s boozed killer gets four years

The man charged with killing a teenage girl in a hit-and-run incident in the King Country last year has been sentenced to four years in jail.

Broc Kawhena was drunk and speeding in Otorohanga when the unwarranted, unregistered Honda Accord he was driving slammed into 17-year-old Ocean Heke in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

The girl, who had been walking home to her father’s house from a party, was killed instantly.

Kawhena, 21, of Te Kuiti, pleaded guilty in March to a charge of causing death while in charge of a motor vehicle, laid in relation to the incident on April 3 last year.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

A large contingent of both Kawhena and Heke’s families were in the High Court in Hamilton to hear the sentence, delivered by Justice Christine Gordon.

Prior to the delivery of that sentence, Heke’s mother, Bella Tupu, tearfully read out a victim impact statement to the court.

‘‘Time has not made it any easier to accept her passing,’’ she said.

‘‘Every day hurts ... I cannot sleep. I have a broken heart.

‘‘That she died alone is the most unimaginable feeling. There were two people in the car that hit Ocean and not one of them tried to help her.

‘‘I had to identify my girl. That’s something I will never forget.’’

She had also been distraught that her daughter had to be left on the side of the road for hours, so a forensic examination could be conducted. Her body then had to be taken to Auckland for a full autopsy.

‘‘I was not even allowed to dress her to prepare her for her tangi, because of the extent of her injuries.’’

Kawhena had initially been facing a charge of manslaughter – which comes with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment – but this was withdrawn by the Crown.

The evening before Heke was killed, Kawhena had been at another nearby party, where he had drunk 18 to 20 bottles of beer.

His hosts at that party had convinced him to stay the night and he had gone to sleep at that house.

However, sometime before 3.30am, he was woken by his partner, who had also been at the party and who wanted to be taken home.

Although still drunk and evidently not happy, Kawhena complied. He was a restricted driver and was not allowed to be driving after 10pm.

The road he was travelling on towards central Otorohanga had a speed limit of 70kmh, dropping to 50kmh. Kawhena was doing an estimated 80 to 90kmh.

He took his eyes off the road to look at his partner, whom he was still arguing with. He failed to take a moderate bend and mounted the kerb.

It is not known whether Ocean Heke was on the road, the kerb or the grass verge when she was struck by Kawhena’s car. Her body slammed into the front windscreen of the car and thrown through the air before hitting a brick pillar and a wooden fence. Her injuries were catastrophic.

When he was eventually arrested, Kawhena told police he was not aware he had hit a person with his car.

From a starting point of five years, Justice Gordon made a 5 per cent reduction for Kawhena’s youth and a 15 per cent reduction for his guilty plea.

The Crown sought to have him incarcerated for at least half of his sentence, but the judge declined to impose this.

She did, however, disqualify Kawhena from driving for the next four years.