Woman who caused fatal motorcycle crash gets community service

A 50-year-old motorcyclist was killed when Ms Enochsson pulled out in front of him on a foggy morning in April. File photo / NZ Herald

A Swedish woman working in New Zealand as a horse trainer has today been sentenced to community work for causing a crash that killed a 50-year-old motorcyclist.

Maria Helena Enochsson, 28, was leaving her farm to feed horses around 7am on a foggy morning in late April.

She saw a headlight coming towards her, but misjudged how far she was from Dennis John Cullen, a father of two from Leeston who was on his way to work at City Care in Christchurch.

Enochsson pulled out of the rural property's driveway onto Springs Rd, leaving Mr Cullen with nowhere to go.

He tried to swerve but ploughed into her car, before being thrown 10m and receiving internal injuries that would cause him to die in hospital four days later on May 4, despite Ms Enochsson's best efforts to save his life at the scene.

Today at Christchurch District Court, the Swedish national was sentenced on an admitted charge of careless driving causing death to 140 hours of community work.

She was also banned from driving for six months and ordered to pay Mr Cullen's grieving partner $2000 in emotional harm reparation.

Defence counsel Claire Yardley said the fatal "misjudgment" that day would live with Enochsson for the rest of her life.

She has twice met Mr Cullen's family, who are "very forgiving", said Ms Yardley.

"And they are to be applauded in the approach they've taken to Ms Enochsson."

Enochsson moved to New Zealand in 2006 and is a respected stable foreman at a Canterbury horse stud, the court heard.

Her and her bosses hoped she would become a resident of New Zealand.

She offered to sell two standard bred horses to come up with the cash for reparation.

Judge David Saunders said the case was his most difficult of the week given the level of emotion.

He described Enochsson's level of culpability as low, compared to most cases he sees, and described her as a hard-working woman who was well thought of by her employers.

He suggested to the probation service that, if possible, her community work should be at the Riding for the Disabled group in Christchurch.