Family upset over jail term

Cherie Taylor | 11th March 2010

The family of a 19-year-old jailed for dangerous driving causing death are upset he was sent to prison instead of rehabilitation.

Levi Ward was jailed for a year for causing the death of his uncle Kiwi Karekare and injuring his friend Joshua Roberts in a car crash on Vaughan Rd last March. He had been drinking, was driving at speeds of more than 90km/h in a 50km/h zone and was on a learner's licence.

Speaking to The Daily Post after Ward was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court this week, members of both Ward's and Mr Karekare's families said they were upset he had been jailed.

An aunt of Mr Karekare, who didn't wish to be identified, cried as she spoke, saying it was "outrageous" the young man had been sent to prison.

"He's already suffering. What good is jail going to do him? He should have got rehab, not jail. It's just senseless," she said.

An uncle, who wanted to be known only as Uncle Des, said Ward was gutted about what happened. "They were like brothers. They were both young and mischief."

Mr Karekare's partner, who asked only to be known as Darlz, questioned whether the judge realised the family were about to hold a memorial service.

Jail wasn't the place for Ward, she said.

"Levi didn't go out that night to kill Kiwi."

She said she blamed herself for giving the car keys to Mr Karekare that night.

"It's not all Levi's fault. I gave Kiwi the keys. I just think there were a lot of things that could have been done that night to prevent this from happening."

During sentencing Judge Chris McGuire acknowledged it had been a "harrowing experience" for Ward.

 However, he said it was vital young men got the message to not drink and drive or drive dangerously and that jail was the outcome if they did.

"Imprisonment is not the ideal deterrent for such a young man with his whole life ahead of him but ultimately, it is the most powerful deterrent to other young men getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol," the judge said.

Ward was also disqualified from driving for two and a half years.

On March 12 last year Ward had been drinking with friends when a decision was made to drive from Malfroy Rd to the eastern suburbs.

Ward drove and as he approached a right-hand bend on Vaughan Rd on the wrong side of the road, travelling about 93km/h, the car slid on to two wheels, crashing into a lamp post, cutting it in half.

Ward escaped with minor injuries but Mr Karekare, a 24-year-old father of four, died at the scene and Mr Roberts, 19, received a broken leg, bruising and scratches.

When Ward was blood tested after the crash, he had an alcohol level of 84 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for a driver aged under 20 is 30mg.

Ward's lawyer, Peter Birks, said Ward was deeply remorseful.

"It has had a traumatic affect on him to the extent I have been concerned by his suicidal idealism. He turned to the bottle in an attempt to alleviate his pain," Mr Birks said.