The brother and father of an Invercargill woman killed in a road-rage incident last year were also dead within 10 months, the High Court at Invercargill was told today.
Justice John Fogarty reserved his decision on what sentence to give Cassandra Mary Anderson, 24, for the manslaughter of Leone Carr. Anderson had earlier admitted the charge following a depositions hearing.
Mrs Carr, 53, died when her car and a car driven by Anderson ploughed into Queens Park in Invercargill at 3.30am on September 14, last year.
The court heard how Anderson rammed Mrs Carr's vehicle at least twice and then continued to tailgate her for up to 1.5km. It was believed both cars were travelling at more than 100kmh in the seconds before the crash.
Mrs Carr's sister Maureen Hammond told the court of the devastation the family had felt. Mrs Carr had been widowed eight years earlier, raising her two children then aged 9 and 13, on her own. In 2004 she and her daughter Anna had both enrolled to study for a nursing degree - they graduated together in 2007.
Mrs Hammond described how in January this year, just four months after Mrs Carr's death, their brother Deane Shute was killed. He was crushed by a boulder as he worked alone on a farm.
Six months later, their father died.
"Dad lost two children in four months. He became frailer and frailer."
She said he was found dead in the kitchen of his Catlins home in June, having suffered a major heart attack.
"We believe he died of a broken heart."
The family had struggled to deal with their loss.
"Cassandra Mary Anderson, through your choices, actions and inactions, you have caused us to lose those most close to us. `Why? Why? Why?"' Mrs Hammond asked.
Defence counsel Bill Dawkins said he could answer some of the family's questions.
He told the court Anderson had left her Lyon St home that evening after her partner struck her in the face, splitting open her nose.
She returned to the house twice -- once to look for her mobile phone and again a short time later to return her partner's dog that she had found wandering up the street.
On the second occasion her partner had jumped onto the bonnet of her car as she reversed and then fell off. Anderson drove round the block and came back to check on him.
He wasn't there so she continued to drive along Lyon St and turned left onto St Andrew St behind Mrs Carr. Within a short distance she rammed Mrs Carr's vehicle at least twice before tailgating her at speed.
Justice Fogarty said he was struggling to determine an appropriate sentence for Anderson, although he made it clear she was facing more than two years' jail.
He reserved his decision hoping to release it by the end of the week. Anderson was remanded in custody.