Teen amputee shocked by sentence

A teenager who had part of her leg amputated after being hit by a car in an illegal street race crash is shocked that the driver has escaped a prison sentence.

Kahn Roper, 18, pleaded guilty at North Shore District Court today to a charge of unlawful street racing causing injury and driving with excess alcohol. He was sentenced to 11 months' home detention and ordered to pay his victim, Amy Duncan, $8000.

Speaking to NZPA outside court after the sentencing, Ms Duncan, 18, said she could not believe Roper had not been sent to prison.

"I'm quite shocked. I lose my leg and he just gets a slap on the wrist. There's nothing I can do," Ms Duncan said.

She read out a victim impact statement in court and described the impact losing her left leg has had on her life.

Ms Duncan spoke of her plans to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy, starting just nine days after the incident last year.

"I was on top of the world. I was going to be able to financially help my mum by joining the navy, but all that was taken away from me in a few short minutes.

"I've already lost a handful of friends because they see me as a different person now. But they don't realise what I will be going through for the rest of my life," she said.

Ms Duncan said she had also received nasty comments and texts, and she said she can't go running or swimming because she gets stared at.

"I feel like a burden to everyone. I've lost my freedom and independence and I can't live life like the 18-year-old I was meant to be," she said.

Ms Duncan told the court she spent two weeks and four days in hospital and has to take a lot of different medications to cope with pain, sleep loss and depression.

"I hate what he's done to me but I'm grateful that I'm still alive," she added.

Sentencing Roper, Judge Barbara Morris told him the combination of alcohol, inexperience and speed led him to lose control of the vehicle.

"Despite the screams from your passengers, you drove in a high speed, high risk chase. While it was not intentional, it was more than an accident.

"You hurtled into this young woman and within seconds her life was physically and emotionally crushed. Nothing can bring back the life she had."

The incident happened in the North Shore suburb of Bayview early on April 10 last year.

Ms Duncan, who was not connected to the racing, was sitting at the side of the road when the car Roper was driving lost control and hit her.

The former Glenfield College student was rushed to hospital, where doctors had to amputate her leg below the knee.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Robinson said the other passengers in the car that night had told Roper to slow down.

Mr Robinson said Roper reached speeds of up to 100kmh in a residential area. He was also driving at midnight, which was in breach of his restricted class 1 licence, and carrying unlicensed passengers.

He said Roper was also driving two and a half times in excess of the legal alcohol limit.

Roper's lawyer Mike Levett said his client had expressed his remorse and accepted his responsibility from the outset.

"He can't turn the clock back but he'd like to do whatever he can to make things better," Mr Levett said.

Roper had his starting point of three years imprisonment reduced to 11 months home detention because of his early guilty plea and his age. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Two other teenagers were also charged in connection with the incident.

Raymond Marsh, 19, was charged with unlawful street racing causing injury. He is due to appear at Auckland District Court on July 6.

Brendan Ashton, 19, was charged with giving false information to police. He was discharged without conviction on October 21.

- NZPA