A Winton manager has admitted his actions while doing a burn-out at a Christmas party last year caused the death of one of his staff.
Peter Grant Jardine (46), pleaded guilty in the Invercargill District Court today to driving with an excess breath alcohol level on December 19 and causing the death of Robin Alwen Lloyd (50).
Jardine is operations manager at Southern Transport Logging and Mr Lloyd was a truck driver.
The Christmas party, attended by staff of Southern Transport Logging and another Winton company, plus clients of both companies, began at the transport company's Winton headquarters about 3pm.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Phil Berryman said about 10.45pm, one of the guests, who was sober, backed a Holden Commodore into a shed and began to do burn-outs - keeping the vehicle stationary while revving the engine and spinning and smoking the tyres.
Soon afterwards, Jardine decided to try doing burn-outs in a rental van which had been hired to take guests home.
He drove the van into the shed. Three people including Mr Lloyd placed their hands on the front of the van to create resistance and improve the burn-out effect, while a fourth stood at the back trying to lift up the rear of the van.
After that burn-out, Jardine drove the van forward near to an exit doorway. He continued to rev the engine and Mr Lloyd went to the van, stood to one side and placed his hands on the bonnet.
The van shot forward, hitting Mr Lloyd as he tried to move out of the way.
Mr Lloyd fell under the van and hit his head on the concrete floor, sustaining critical injuries.
He died in Dunedin Hospital 10 days later.
Jardine was spoken to by police on the night and admitted driving the van. A breath test showed he had a breath alcohol level of 863mcg. He told police he had drunk 12-15 stubbies of beer during the party.
Judge Bernadette Farnan remanded Jardine at large for sentencing on August 13.
