Driver whose wife killed in crash disqualified

A Filipino man's "minor" degree of carelessness that killed his wife and injured two others resulted in a minimum disqualification in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.

Cenon Villones, 41, of Gladfield, appeared before Judge Jane Farish on two charges of operating a motor vehicle carelessly causing injury and one of operating a vehicle carelessly causing death on August 14.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Grant Gerken told the court Villones was travelling east with his wife in their Mitsubishi along Lindsay Calcium Rd and made a right-hand turn into the Otautau-Drummond road at Isla Bank.

When turning the corner, Villones failed to see an oncoming vehicle and they collided, pushing Villones' car off the road's verge into a fence, he said.

The 28-year-old driver of the other car suffered minor injuries, while his 19-year-old passenger suffered knee and facial injuries and both had to be cut from the car, the court was told.

Villones' wife was taken to Dunedin Hospital and died three days later, Mr Gerken said.

Lawyer John Fraser said Villones was bereaved and in shock following his wife's death.

Judge Farish said it was a "tragedy all round" and decided to impose a minimum disqualification because the degree of carelessness by Villones was minor.

Villones was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay $1000 emotional harm reparation to one occupant of the oncoming car and $700 reparation for damage to the fence.

Assault
Jesse McCullum, 17, was sentenced to nine months' supervision for assaulting a female and assault using a blunt instrument, namely a bamboo cane, on July 29.

Tarryn William Hammond, 20, was remanded to October 5 for sentence for assault on June 26.

Matangaro O Tumai Rura, 27, meat worker, was ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months for assault on July 29.

Theft
Taua Tutanekai Haira, 56, meat worker of Woodlands, was ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six months for stealing a $3.98 fragrance sachet from Mitre 10 Mega on Elles Rd on August 13.

Drugs
Shane Lay, 21, meat worker, was sentenced to 120 hours' community work for cultivating cannabis and possessing cannabis on July 16.

The court was told Lay had a box of utensils for cultivating cannabis and was incubating seven seedlings in his garage, but he maintained they were for personal use.

Breach
William Hector Ayers, 24, Ermedale, was convicted and discharged for breaching community work at Otautau on July 1.

Offensive weapon
Wayne Murupainga Wahia, 43, butcher, was fined $300 for unlawfully possessing a cut-down sawn-off shotgun on August 5.

False statement
Shahna Lawrence, 20, was remanded to November 19 for sentence for making a false statement to police on August 12.

Burglary
Logan Shaun Kelly, 18, was sentenced to 12 months' supervision and ordered to pay $2300 reparation for burglary of the Seventh Day Adventist Church on April 30, unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle at Winton on April 28 and intentionally damaging a window on February 6.

Judge Farish said Kelly had broken into the church with an associate and caused more than $24,000 of damage by defacing the building with graffiti. "You should be ashamed for that," she said.

Paula Ann Green, 23, was remanded to November 16 for sentence for burglary between July 11 and 20, unlawfully possessing firearms, namely two shotguns and a .22-calibre rifle, and possessing morphine on August 3.

Nathan Wallis, 31, was sentenced to 120 hours' community work for burglary on July 31, wilful damage and assault on July 25.

Fraud
William James Hodgkinson, 33, was sentenced to 200 hours' community work for omitting to disclose he was living with his wife to obtain pecuniary advantage between May 29, 2006, and December 21, 2008.

Te Waipounamu Tarawhiti, 36, was sentenced to 120 hours' community work for twice misleading a social welfare officer to receive a domestic purposes benefit between May 10, 2007, and October 18, 2008, and three times knowingly making a false statement to receive a domestic purposes benefit between December 6, 2007, and July 2, 2009.

Driving
Cameron Donald Rangi, 17, farm worker, of Ashers, was remanded to November 19 for sentence for driving while disqualified and stealing a motor vehicle at Queenstown, and driving while under the influence on Kingston Rd on June 25.

The court was told Rangi stole a Toyota Hilux ute valued at $22,000 and drove it carelessly by crossing the centre line.

The ute was found lying on its side by Lake Wakatipu down a bank after Rangi left it in gear and let it run itself of the edge of the road, the court was told.

Fabian Lindsay MacDonald, 17, of Winton, was fined $700 and disqualified from driving for six months for driving in a manner that may have been dangerous to the public and operating a vehicle on a public road in a race, on the Winton-Lorneville highway on May 24.

Drink-driving
Joshua Jan Van Der Sluys, 24, dairy worker, of Winton, was remanded to November 16 for sentence for driving with a blood alcohol level of 189mg and failing to stop and check if anyone was injured after being involved in an accident on June 13.

Bradley Craig Knight, 18, of Awarua Wetlands, was fined $300 and disqualified from driving for three months for driving with a breath alcohol level of 348mcg (youth level) on August 18.

Michelle Beverly Stanley, 43, shed hand, 1248mcg on August 6. Sentenced to 160 hours' community work and disqualified for nine months.

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