December 08, 2008

Victim's family applauds custody remand for teen

A burst of applause from the public seats greeted the remand in custody for the teenage driver charged over a central city crash that has put a 25-year-old mother in hospital in critical condition.

?This is a court room, thank you, and the applause is not appreciated,? said Christchurch District Court Judge Graeme Noble as the clapping by the large group of family and friends of the victim died away.

Eighteen-year-old Thomas Joseph Hancy struggled from the cells into the dock showing clear signs of the facial injuries from the Friday evening crash when police allege he was driving a car he had unlawfully taken.

He has cuts across his forehead, and a blackened and heavily swollen left eye.

Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger applied for bail but all of her submissions, and parts of the judge?s decision have been suppressed.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Berryman handed up a written bail opposition.

Hancy, a labourer, faces charges of unlawfully taking a $5000 car, unlawful possession of a pair of scissors which could be used for breaking into cars, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for a police car using its lights and siren, and reckless driving causing injury to the woman?s five-year-old daughter, and her partner.

He was remanded in custody to Monday.

?The circumstances in relation to the driver are presently that she has life-threatening injuries and may not survive,? said the judge.

Hancy faces no charge relating to her at present. Sergeant Berryman said the charge laid would depend on her condition.

Judge Noble said Hancy?s mother had offered a place for him if he were released on bail, but he said the prison was well equipped to deal with injured people being held in custody.

After the hearing, the family asked a police detective to speak to waiting media. She said the family were devastated, but wanted to thank everyone who had helped and asked people to continue their prayers for the injured woman.

The police say the Subaru vehicle was taken from the Centennial Pool area and was briefly chased by a police car. The police abandoned the pursuit when the car was driven in the wrong direction along a one-way street.

The car then collided with the vehicle containing the family at the corner of Tuam and Durham Streets. The woman?s partner received moderate injuries, and the child received minor injuries.