The trailer that broke free from its towing vehicle on Taupo’s Lake Terrace running down a woman and causing her serious injuries has cost its owner $30,000 in compensation.
According to Stuff, Marie Hyslop was visiting Taupo in January with friends for a summer concert, when she was struck down by the trailer during a morning walk on Lake Terrace.
Stuff reports the trailers owner, a Taupo Builder, Dean Haycock, and his nephew Alexander Klein who was driving the tow vehicle when the incident occurred, both pled guilty in the Taupo District Court to careless use of a motor vehicle causing injury to Hyslop.
Stuff reports Judge CJ McGuire says all of the mechanisms designed to stop the trailer freeing itself from the tow vehicle had failed, and he held Haycock as more culpable than Klein, as he had given his nephew the all-clear to leave a building site with the faulty trailer attached to a vehicle.
While Haycock received 100 of community service, as well as a six-month disqualification, he also presented a cheque for the amount of $30,000 to Judge McGuire, a compensation figure which he had earlier agreed to in a restorative justice meeting with Klein and Hyslop attending.
McGuire told Stuff this case was a shining example of the restorative justice process and that the victim and her husband coming up from Wellington to meet defendants Haycock and Klein brought a strong sense of closure to the incident.
According to Stuff, Klein was convicted and discharged, also receiving a six-month disqualification, but the judge deferred this to allow work arrangements and temporary licenses to be sought out.
