October 14, 2011

Man admits driving over friend outside party

By David Clarkson at the Nga Hau e Wha marae

A 20-year-old who drove over and then reversed over a friend who was lying on the roadway outside a party has admitted the driving offence at court while his friend recovers slowly in hospital.

It is nearly two months since the incident in Griffiths Avenue, Linwood, which put Daniel Mark Brunsden into the intensive care unit at Christchurch Hospital.

He has had an operation after suffering rib injuries, a punctured lung, lacerated spleen, and fractured pelvis. He had a cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way to hospital and has had a trachiotomy to assist his breathing.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Berryman told the Christchurch District Court of Brunsden?s slow recovery, after a four-week remand in the case of the driver to assess the victim?s condition.

The driver, Beau Dean Stade, appeared before Judge Robert Murfitt in the sitting at the Nga Hau e Wha marae today and pleaded guilty to a charge of injuring Brunsden by careless driving while he was under the influence of drink but not having committed an offence against the drink-driving section of the Land Transport Act.

On the night, the police were told that Brundsen had been found on the roadway and it was believed that he had been the victim of a hit and run driver.

Stade has also admitted a charge of giving false information to the police.

Berryman told the court Stade had been drinking bourbon and cola as he socialised at the address. When he left about 10.30pm he drove forward and felt the car go over a bump. He then reversed and struck Brunsden a second time.

After giving two statements to the police, he then made a third statement telling what had happened and saying that he did not realise his friend had been lying in front of the car.

In the meantime, the police had devoted a lot of time to investigating the claim that the injuries had been caused by a hit and run crash.

Stade was remanded on bail for sentence at Rangiora on March 12. Judge Murfitt asked for a reparation report, and a pre-sentence report to cover his suitability for community detention. He also suggested it was a case where a restorative justice conference could be considered.

At the request of defence counsel Michelle Barrell, a night time curfew was deleted from Stade?s bail conditions. She said the victim?s condition was still serious, but improving, and it would be some time before he would be able to take part in a restorative justice conference.