The scene of the crash in Albany that claimed the life of Nathan Kraatskow.
19-year-old Rouxle Le Roux has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and sentenced to home detention. The government has accepted a 143,000 signature petition to appeal the sentence. /Sam Sword
The home detention sentence given to 19-year-old Rouxle Le Roux, who killed a teenage boy in a drunken hit and run, meets legal standards because it was an "accident", a top lawyer says.
Rouxle Le Roux was sentenced on Friday to 11 months home detention and 250 hours community service for the death of 15-year old Nathan Kraatskow.
Nathan died in May when Le Roux, a learner driver, hit him at an intersection in Albany in north Auckland as he was cycling home.
Le Roux had drunk wine and smoked cannabis earlier in the day before the Mercedes she was driving crashed into Kraatskow as he crossed the intersection on a small bike.
Nathan died at the scene. Le Roux and her two passengers failed to stop.
Nathan Kraatskow died when hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Albany. Photo / Supplied
Le Roux was sentenced in the Auckland District Court on Friday for dangerous driving causing death.
Unhappy with the sentence, Nathan's mother Charlene Kraatskow started a petition questioning the New Zealand justice system and calling on prosecutors to appeal Le Roux's sentence and seek a harsher penalty. The petition is nearing 100,000 supporters.
However, criminal lawyer Steve Cullen told Newstalk ZB's Mike Yardley today that the sentence meets the legal requirements.
"It is within the parameters of what normally is applied in this kind of case," he said.
"Although it's an absolutely devastating thing to experience, the loss of a child can never be overcome, it's accidental. This person is ... a very young person who is being punished for an accidental death caused on the side of the road.
"My assessment would be that this is within parameters of available sentencing for this type of offence and this isn't a case where, even on appeal, there is a likelihood of her being imprisoned.
"There's a range of factors taken into account by the judge, discounting factors for example, youth, early guilty pleas, expressions of remorse."
Cullen said what has angered people is some of Le Roux's Instagram posts which appear to be making fun of the situation.
Rouxle Le Roux dressed up in an orange prison jumpsuit with the Instagram caption reading: 'Hide your children'
The posts included a Halloween post of Le Roux wearing an orange prison jumpsuit with the caption reading: "Hide your children".
However, he said Le Roux provided an explanation to the judge for the post.
"That was before the judge at the time and an explanation was given.
"I certainly would have found it very distressing if I was the parent of a child who had been killed by an accidental death, there's no doubt about that. But it was a matter that the judge did take into account and we had a very experienced judge."
Cullen said the fact that she didn't stop would have been considered as well, but at the end of the day it was an accident.
"The circumstances here, where you simply have an accident that occurs at an intersection and a panic stricken young person flees the scene.
"One would have hoped that she had come back, that she had entered into rehabilitation programme and apologised but it [her fleeing] certainly is something that exacerbates the situation."
However, Charlene Kraatskow is calling on prosecutors to appeal Le Roux's sentence and seek a harsher penalty.
"I don't think taking someone's life and only getting 11 months' home detention is setting a very good precedent for the kids of today," she told the Herald.
"They see they can smoke weed, get in a car drunk, drive and then can kill someone and get 11 months home detention."
People are also posting across social media about the perceived "privilege" involved in Le Roux's sentencing, compared to 21-year-old Broc Kawhena who was sentenced to four years' jail for a drunken hit and run in 2017.
