A Canadian safety officer who had admitted careless driving causing death has been urged by the victim's family to remember the "good times'' from his stay in New Zealand and not let the crash define his life.
Christopher Mark Prince (30), who lives in Takapuna at present, was for sentence yesterday before Judge Michael Crosbie in the Dunedin District Court.
Prince, who had previously pleaded guilty, had told police he was to blame, but had been affected by sunstrike when his car crossed the centre line and collided head-on with a car driven by Catlins resident Heather Jean Evelyn Burgess (81) on April 19 at 4.45pm just south of Owaka.
Mrs Burgess' vehicle had bullbars, which lessened the impact of the crash.
Initially taken to Balclutha, where she spent four days in hospital, Mrs Burgess was transported to Dunedin Hospital and died the day after the transfer.
Prince, who wept throughout the hearing, was represented by counsel Marie Dyhrberg QC.
Acknowledging the presence of Mrs Burgess' family in the courtroom, Judge Crosbie said they attended a restorative justice meeting with Prince and had been gracious towards him.
They wanted him to take home happy memories from his time in New Zealand.
"They want you to enjoy your life in Canada and remember the good times you had in New Zealand, which is a lovely and forgiving thing to say.
"They don't want to think that your life is determined by this tragic accident.''
The family's kindness was a credit to Mrs Burgess, who was remembered as a strong, active, and capable person. She spent a lot of time with her family, the judge said.
As a trained safety officer, Prince placed a priority on safety, as part of an "exemplary'' life before the crash.
In the time leading up to the sentencing, he had volunteered about 200 hours at a rest-home. Managers at the rest-home had been impressed by his service.
Prince had had counselling sessions to deal with the significant and ongoing psychological impact from the crash.
Judge Crosbie referred to an "abundance'' of letters written in support of Prince, who was, by all accounts, a "very good human being''.
Caused by "momentary inattention'', the offending was at the lower end of the scale for its type.
Judge Crosbie ordered Prince to pay a fine of $1500 and to pay $13,500 emotional harm reparation to the family. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay court costs of $130.
Earlier, Ms Dyhrberg said her client had made $15,000 available for reparation or fines.
A cautious and safety-conscious person, Prince had been "devastated'' by the crash and had acknowledged the suffering of the grieving family, Ms Dyhrberg said.
