Man who admitted killing girlfriend in horror crash jailed for five years

Cameron Presland during sentencing today. Photo / Otago Daily Times

There were feral scenes outside a Dunedin courthouse as associates of a learner driver sentenced on two counts of manslaughter took their anger out on the media.

Cameron Presland, 21, has been sentenced in the High Court to nearly five years in prison for the manslaughter of his girlfriend and her brother, as well as injuring two others.

In sentencing, Justice Cameron Mander told Presland it was his driving, his vehicle and his foot on the accelerator that caused the crash. The court also heard from the mother of injured victim Courtney Donald, who described how her daughter will never be the same again.

She has endured 16 surgeries.

After the hearing, associates of Presland turned on the media, pushing around a TV cameraman, taking photos of them and throwing a number of insults at those covering the sentencing.

He has also been disqualified from driving for five years.

In her victim impact statement, the mother of the Kiriau children, Beverley De Blecourt, pleaded for young people listening to wear their seat belts and not to show off, because there were serious consequences.

Presland had been speeding in an illegally modified car with his learner's licence when he lost control of the car. He has also been disqualified from driving for five years.