A mother who was driving under the influence of alcohol was told that no sentence will carry as much weight as knowing that she was responsible for the death of her son

A Superior Court judge has told a mother that no sentence he can impose on her for killing her 4-year-old son while drunk driving will be as heavy as the burden of knowing that she killed him.

Meri Hoana Grace was sentenced to 10 months of home detention after pleading guilty to driving with excessive alcohol on her breath causing death and injury, and driving while disqualified.

In her sentencing notes in Superior Court, Judge Dobson said the “lenient sentence” for the “very serious driving offense” was intended to give her a chance, and urged her to take it.

“The most important thing in my mind when evaluating the matter is that any sentence you impose will carry less weight than the burden of knowing that you caused the death of Tipene.”

On March 5 of this year, Grace picked up her son from school in Ruatoria at 2.30pm and went to a liquor store before starting to drink with family members.

Later that night, she decided to drive to Gisborne to visit her abusive ex-partner with her aunt and son.

However, near the end of the trip, Grace appears to have fallen asleep at the wheel while traveling on SH35 near Whangara.

The car spun off the road, hit a grassy culvert, sent it flying, and threw the three passengers off of it.

The vehicle landed on Tipene and killed him on the spot, while his aunt broke her ankle and four ribs.

Neither Grace nor her aunt she had been drinking with wore seat belts across the front because their dog had bitten them. Tipene got into a half lift in the back seat, but also without a seat belt.

The car did not have a current Wof and Grace had been disqualified from driving after driving under the influence in October 2019.

Dobson called Grace’s actions “appalling risk-taking” not entirely influenced by the level of alcohol she had drunk. He also touched on his previous history of losing his sister in a car accident, being in an abusive relationship, and health problems.

In considering his sentence, he said he must take into account “the other horrible punishment that Tipene’s death has meted out,” as well as his past problems and upbringing.

“I am convinced that yours is a personal predicament that warrants a compassionate sentencing approach, to the extent possible. I consider your remorse for the death of your son and the ongoing grief, which is as difficult a punishment as any other. that the Court can impose, “he said.

Along with 10 months of home detention, she was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to receive trauma counseling and complete a drug alcoholism program.