Widow wants death driver to speak 'from his heart'

Taupo woman Shirley Bogusz questions the sincerity of the remorse of her husband's killer.

She wants to meet with him so he can "look at me and speak to me from his heart".

Mrs Bogusz was speaking outside Rotorua District Court yesterday after her husband's killer Christopher Michael Hallmond, 20, of Mangakino, was sentenced to eight months jail

Hallmond previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Taupo man Gerhard Bogusz on August 16 last year.

Yesterday Hallmond was also ordered to pay $10,000 reparation to Mr Bogusz's family and banned from driving for two years.

Judge James Weir told Hallmond he was not allowed to get his driver's licence back until he has tests to confirm whether he still has a medical condition known as myatonia (limp muscles).

Hallmond was diagnosed with the condition as a child but it was not known whether he suffered from it at the time of the collision.

Outside the court Mrs Bogusz said she thought the prison term was not long enough and questioned the sincerity of Hallmond's remorse.

She hoped Hallmond's medical condition would be investigated further because he should not be allowed to drive.

The court was told that on August 16 last year Hallmond was driving to Taupo when he attempted to overtake a line of four cars.

He had only passed one car when his vehicle collided head on with Mr Bogusz's car.

Mr Bogusz had veered as far as he could to the side of the road but Mr Hallmond had not made any attempt to avoid the collision.

Judge Weir said he was at a loss to understand how the accident happened and why Hallmond did not try to avoid it.

"It was a shocking piece of negligent driving." Judge Weir said.

In the packed courtroom Hallmond read an apology to Mrs Bogusz and thanked his family and friends for their support.

Mrs Bogusz said as a result of Hallmond's actions, she had lost her landscaping business which she had owned with her husband of 14 years.

All she had to live on was $140 week from Accident Compensation Corporation.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)