Jail for dangerous driver

A young Mt Maunganui man said to be "showing off" before his car ploughed into a group of teenagers at the Coromandel peninsula resort of Whangamata three months ago was jailed today for a year.

Dean Yaxley, 22, appeared for sentence in Tauranga District Court before a subdued public gallery packed with his victims, their families and friends and his own parents and supporters.

Two of the most seriously injured in the May 3 incident, Nigel Fluharty, 18, and Mary Wood, 15, were there on crutches.

Yaxley showed little emotion as he was led from the dock after Judge Thomas Ingram declined home detention.

"Three innocent people have suffered enormously and it seems to me a sentence involving home detention is simply inadequate to cover what you have done," the judge said.

He said the deterrent aspect had become the overwhelming factor for sentencing in this case.

Yaxley pleaded guilty to three charges of dangerous driving causing injury and one count of driving with excess blood alcohol.

Judge Ingram also banned Yaxley from driving for three years.

His lawyer Tony Balme said Yaxley had paid $8000 in reparation to his three victims, "but by no means sees that as the end of his obligations".

He was prepared to meet any amount ordered by the judge at the rate of $200 a week.

He also faced civil liability for the $6000 worth of damage caused to the house hit by his car.

It was difficult to apportion compensation payments because all three victims had suffered differently and one, Richard Lance, 17, was not as badly injured physically as Mr Fluharty and Ms Wood, said Mr Balme.

Judge Ingram approved an offer of a further $12,000 to Mr Fluharty and Ms Wood and $3000 to Mr Lance, to be paid in instalments.

"It is a very sad, traumatic business," the lawyer said. Yaxley had an "overwhelming desire to try to put things right".

The crash happened about 4pm on May 3 when up to 50,000 people were at the resort town for the annual Beach Hop.

Car enthusiasts were gathered for the weekend to see classic cars from the 1950s and 1960s.

Judge Ingram said Yaxley was driving well above the speed limit in his modified V8 Holden with four passengers when he overtook two other vehicles, clipping the front of one.

His car fishtailed down the road, narrowly missing a woman, mounted the footpath and hit a number of teenagers sitting in the front yard of a house watching the passing parade.

The car then crashed into the side of the house.

The judge said he had read and re-read the "harrowing" victim impact statements.

Yaxley's only previous conviction, for sustained loss of traction, was "clearly indicative of your attitude to driving at the time - although it isn't now," the judge said.

"You showed your willingness to flout the rules and run risks."

Both sides had benefited from a restorative justice conference, although not all of the victims had forgiven Yaxley, said Judge Ingram.

He commended the accused for promptly accepting responsibility and doing what he could to assist immediately after the accident.

"Nobody could be more remorseful than you."

But the judge slated the consumption of alcohol, the "grossly excessive speed, and the showing off - that is exactly what you were doing".

"You were simply another in a long line of people who appear before this court on this kind of case.

"Despite all the advertising we see somehow the message doesn't seem to be getting through that bad driving and alcohol results in injury and death."

Judge Ingram said he was satisfied that Yaxley was otherwise a young man of very good character who was full of promise but had made a bad mistake.

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