Families forgive Hepi for drunken crash

Whiti Hepi ran to a friend's house after the accident. Picture / Amos Chapple

Selena Forbes hugged the man who killed her sister, niece and her friend as he was led from the High Court at Hamilton yesterday to start a 7 1/2-year prison sentence.

"I feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for my family as well," she said.

Ms Forbes had been in the car driven by Whiti Wairehu Dyne Hepi, 21, which plunged off Hamilton's Cobham Bridge into the Waikato River in the early hours of February 12 this year.

She was saved because she had got out before the accident happened.

But Hepi's decision to drive drunk that night ended the lives of Sandra Tungia, 16, Kristen Armstrong, 14, Ms Forbes' niece and Ms Forbes' sister Hayley Forbes, 15.

Hepi had pleaded guilty to the girl's manslaughter and yesterday sat in the dock, his head bowed, crying at times, as the events of that night were replayed in a packed courtroom.

In sentencing Hepi to 7 1/2 years in prison with a non-parole period of 3 1/2 years, Justice Rodney Hansen said it was, "only the end of the beginning for the victims, whose suffering will go on".

He disqualified Hepi from driving for four years.

The court heard how Hepi had heard the screams of Hayley, the only girl to escape the car, as she flailed in the water with a broken leg, but he left her and she drowned.

"Your foolish, irresponsible actions had dreadful consequences, consequences you could not have seen in your worst nightmares..." Justice Hansen said in sentencing him.

Hepi, who has a previous conviction for careless driving, had run to a friend's house after the accident and handed himself into police that day.

Crown prosecutor Jacinda Foster said it showed a "disturbing level of cruelty and callousness".

Hepi and the girls had never met before that night when, after drinking in town, he offered them a lift home.

His friend Andrew Kemp tossed him the keys to his Subaru, saying he seemed fine to drive and got into the passenger seat.

Outside court after yesterday's sentencing, the Forbes family said Mr Kemp should also be held responsible.

"The concern we have is that this young man is carrying full responsibility and there were two of them," said family member Mana Forbes.

Defence lawyer Brandt Shortland said Hepi was scared and frightened after the crash and had panicked.

"When he shuts his eyes, he will continue to see the scene. It will never, never leave his mind."

A victim impact statement from Miss Armstrong's mother, Keilin, spoke of a lack of energy for life.

"They envy the prisoner's family, who are still able to touch, kiss and cuddle their son."

Ms Forbes' parents said in their statement life would never be the same.

Miss Tungia's family found it too painful to give a victim impact statement, but as with the other families had met with Hepi, who had shown his remorse and given each family a greenstone taonga.

With the sentencing over, the Forbes family asked for time with Hepi, whom they hugged and told they felt for him.

Hayley's father, John Forbes, said young people's attitudes to drugs and alcohol had to change and he believed some blame had to lie at the feet of Mr Kemp, who had given Hepi the keys.

John Forbes said the deaths of his daughter Hayley and granddaughter Kristen would forever leave a vacuum.

'It hasn't been an easy road for my wife and daughter [Selena] to come this far on the forgiveness trail."

As his wife hugged Hepi's mother, his surviving daughter said she forgave Hepi.

"Everybody had a part to play that night."