The Star: December 14, 2023

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday December 14 2023 The Star
COURT 11
Too many schooners for drink driver
JAIL: Jaymie Schooner was sentenced to two years and three months for a raft of charges
after drink driving, crashing into multiple cars and fleeing the scene. PHOTO: GETTY
• By Emily Moorhouse
A MAN who was drink driving
when he crashed into multiple
cars immediately fled the scene,
leaving behind an elderly victim
whose lungs were filling with
fluid.
A judge has blasted Jaymie
Schooner for his decision to
restart his car and flee the crash
scene, stating the 73-year-old
victim – who had to be hospitalised
for 10 days – could have
died.
Schooner appeared in the
district court on Tuesday for
sentencing on a raft of charges,
including excess breath alcohol
causing injury, dangerous driving,
failing to stop or ascertain
injury, driving while forbidden
and common assault.
Schooner’s partner and their
newborn baby were also in court.
It was Schooner’s first meeting
with his child, after being in custody,
and the judge described the
introduction as an “unfortunate
circumstance” and allowed him
to hold the baby for a short time.
The court heard that in the
early evening of August 18,
Schooner was driving along
Main North Rd.
He had suffered an injury to
his left hand and was holding
the steering wheel with his right
hand, taking it off to change
gears of the manual car.
Schooner approached an intersection
at “great speed”, changing
direction and crashing into
a van, shunting it onto the curb
and causing significant damage.
His car mounted the footpath
and he immediately started the
engine and drove off, hitting
another vehicle on his way.
When police caught up with
him, an alcohol breath test
revealed Schooner had 489
micrograms of alcohol per litre
of breath, almost double the legal
limit.
Three victims travelling in the
cars Schooner crashed into suffered
injuries, with a 73-year-old
man hospitalised for 10 days.
Judge Tony Couch told
Schooner the elderly man could
have died as fluid began to fill his
lungs while Schooner drove away
from the crash scene.
Schooner began to cry while
the judge outlined the injuries to
his victims.
A second victim was transported
to hospital with a laceration
to their head and bruising,
while a third suffered swelling
This report was produced by Open
Justice – Te Pātītī, a Public
Interest Journalism initiative
funded by NZ on Air
and soreness as a result of the
impact.
The court heard Schooner
told police he drank two cups of
coffee in an attempt to sober up
before getting behind the wheel.
Judge Couch said Schooner’s
decision to restart the car and
drive away from the scene without
helping showed a “total disregard”
for the others involved.
“The damage to the van must
have made it obvious to you
there was a real likelihood of
injury,” the judge said.
Judge Couch said if the elderly
man had been left any longer
without medical assistance he
could have died.
Schooner also faced a charge
of common assault arising from
June 2 when he barged into a
female security guard at a supermarket
and struck her in the face
with a piece of clothing when she
questioned him about stealing.
The judge sentenced Schooner
to two years and three months’
imprisonment.
As Schooner was led back into
custody, he kissed his partner
and baby before telling them he
loved them.
• More court, page 18
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