PHOTO
A Tokanui man “unleashed hell” and “betrayed” his best friend when he killed him in a high-speed, drunken crash on a rural Southland road, a court has heard.
Aaron Templeton appeared in the High Court at Invercargill this afternoon and was jailed for two years and seven months after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of 20-year-old Jack Stephens and drink-driving causing injury to Morgan Stephens, 19.
Templeton was driving the cousins home after a drinking session at the Tokanui Tavern when he approached a corner at high speed, flipping his ute on the Niagara-Tokanui highway, on February 15 in 2025.
The defendant and Jack Stephens were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle, while Morgan Stephens, who had put his belt on just moments prior, remained inside the car.
Jack Stephens’ father Paul said he initially had sympathy for the defendant - until he learnt what took place that night.
"They both deserved so much better of someone who was regarded as a friend,” he said.
The victim’s father told Templeton: “I don’t want to hear from you, I don’t want to know where you are or ever see you again”.
Jack Stephens’ mother Heidi said she was haunted by thoughts of Jack and how he felt in those final moments.
"Aaron, you were meant to be his best friend, you were supposed to look after him but you didn’t - you betrayed him.
"You have unleashed hell on our family, you have stolen our happiness... I will never forgive you.”
Morgan Stephens was rushed to Dunedin Hospital following the crash and his father Clarke (Jack’s uncle) recalled the pain of seeing his son in critical condition.
"Not once have I heard sorry from you, you are a coward. We will never forget you - but we choose not to remember you,” he said.
Crown prosecutor Mike Brownlie said no sentence could possibly measure the level of loss and harm.
The court heard Templeton reached speeds of 127kmh and had an estimated alcohol level of 189mg - nearly four times the legal adult limit of 50mg.
He was on a restricted licence at the time and aged under 20, which meant he should not have been carrying passengers nor have consumed any alcohol.
Justice Rob Osborne said what happened that night was not simply a single mistake to drink and drive, but a series of deliberate and calculated decisions.
The defendant was offered a ride home by his mother and the bar manager, both of which he turned down.
The judge cited a clear animosity towards police from Snapchat videos “showing off”, recorded on the night of the crash.
He acknowledged Templeton had shown remorse for his actions and had taken steps toward rehabilitation.
Justice Osborne also highlighted receiving “the largest amount of litigation material” he had ever seen.
There were 111 people that submitted testimonies about Templeton, including immediate family, associates and work contacts.
"At the point you committed these crimes, you were viewed by your community as a thoroughly decent young man.”
However, he described the defendant's relationship with alcohol as “perturbing”.
The court heard that whenever Templeton would drink, it would usually end with him throwing up or passing out.
Alongside the prison term, he was disqualified from holding a licence for two and a-half years, once released.
The victim’s girlfriend said the effects of grief and loss had permanently affected her.
She now had trouble sleeping and was plagued with intense nightmares surrounding her boyfriend’s death.
"Every day I would wait for him to come home; the future we were building together no longer exists."