Hayden Richard Hurst, 29, was before the High Court at Invercargill yesterday charged with the manslaughter of 48-year-old Royalburn Station head butcher Outrega (Tre) Anderson on December 16 last year.
The court heard Hurst had begun drinking at 4pm the day before the collision, at a work Christmas party in Queenstown and later consumed MDMA.
Hurst pulled over and, finding the right side of the road, drove towards Frankton before pulling into the McDonald’s drive-through where he mounted the kerb twice before entering.
The defendant then continued down the Frankton-Ladies Mile Highway swerving through traffic and failed to give way to a bus at a roundabout.
The court heard while crossing the centre-line into oncoming traffic two cars were driven off the road to avoid collision while the impaired driver was talking hands-free to his partner on the phone, eating McDonald's and tailgating other vehicles.
On the Gibbston Highway in the 100km zone about 7.42am, Mr Anderson was driving east when Hurst again veered on to the wrong side of the road, crashing head-on into his car.
Mr Anderson died at the scene.
Blood analysis after the accident showed Hurst had a blood-alcohol level of 131mg per 100ml of blood, more than twice the legal limit, and was more than twice high-risk limit for MDMA.
Hurst was originally charged with drink-driving causing death in January before the charge of manslaughter was added.
Counsel Kerry Cook said the time it took to receive disclosure and expert medical analysis was the reason his client only pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter on October 8, nearly 10 months after he was charged.
When Mr Anderson’s friends, family and colleagues read victim impact statements to the court, they spoke of him being a creative and humble man with a ‘‘beautiful, promising life’’.
His sister said the deceased’s mother had the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease when her brother was killed, and his death had exacerbated her illness.
The grieving sister said her mother found it hard to understand her son’s death, asking: "So now that he’s gone behind bars, Tre can come back?".
In response to the defendant’s 10-month delay in pleading guilty, Mr Anderson’s sister said: "Your actions have denied her precious time to grieve for her son."
Another friend and colleague challenged Hurst to become the best version of himself in return for taking Mr Anderson’s life.
"I ask in return for Tre’s life that you now take responsibility for your life ... become a man of honour, grit and strength," he said.
In sentencing, Justice Lisa Preston gave the 29-year-old credit for remorse, rehabilitative actions, his guilty plea and for offering to make an emotional harm payment of $10,000 to the victim’s family.
She sentenced him to three years, 11 months’ imprisonment, ordered the reparation and disqualified him from driving for four years.
