Cop in dock over u-turn death

Paul Brown's motorcycle and Michael Lenihan's police car after the fatal crash. Photo / Bruce McCulloch

A long-serving police officer who made a u-turn last year that killed a motorcyclist behind him is to defend the charges against him.

Michael John Lenihan appeared in the Huntly District Court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death and injury.

The charges relate to an accident on April 18 last year in which former motorsport champion Paul Brown, a 38-year-old father of two, was killed when he rode over the brow of a hill on a rural road near Te Kauwhata and crashed into Lenihan's turning patrol car.

The patrol car had its sirens on and lights flashing and was about to chase a ute that police say had been clocked travelling at 154km/h.

Lenihan, 60, is a long-serving Waikato highway patrol officer.

Judge Philip Connell denied a Herald application to photograph the policeman in court.

Mr Brown's father, John Brown, told the Herald yesterday that he was trying to put the issue behind him but was concerned that the court process had taken more than a year to reach its current stage.

Paul Brown's death came a month before his birthday and was a bitter blow for his parents, who live at Waerenga, near Te Kauwhata.

"I've already lost two sons, so it's pretty hard to take," said John Brown.

An Independent Police Conduct Authority report released last month supported the charges against Lenihan, saying he made the u-turn at a "highly undesirable location" on a narrow section on Waerenga Rd.

But it made no finding as to whether Lenihan had broken the law.

The authority's investigation found he had acted correctly in deciding to chase the speeding ute because it was travelling 54km/h over the 100km/h limit.

The ute driver, Carl Jackson - a close friend of Mr Brown - was cleared of ignoring police signals to stop because the highway patrol car did not pull up behind him.

Mr Jackson and Mr Brown had been visiting a friend earlier that day before the accident happened.

Lenihan's blood alcohol breath test came back negative,and Mr Brown's was also below the legal limit.

Lenihan is to reappear in Hamilton District Court on August 4.