Key Takeaways
- Norton Sowerby was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for causing the deaths of three friends in a car crash while driving under the influence of methamphetamine.
- Sowerby had ignored pleas from his passengers not to drive through a controlled barrier train crossing and had a methamphetamine reading of 300ng/ml, six times the high-risk limit.
- The crash occurred on November 13, last year, and killed William Chaney Marsters Brown, 46, Shylin Huirama-Osborne, 26, and Sione Leapulu Nusipepa, 23.
- Sowerby had six previous convictions for driving while disqualified and was serving a sentence of intensive supervision at the time of the crash.
- The judge described Sowerby’s actions as "profoundly reckless" and said that he had taken three lives through his dangerous driving.
Introduction to the Case
The case of Norton Sowerby is a tragic and disturbing one, involving the deaths of three young men in a car crash caused by Sowerby’s reckless driving while under the influence of methamphetamine. On November 13, last year, Sowerby drove his car onto train tracks, ignoring pleas from his passengers to stop, and was struck by an oncoming train. The crash killed three of his friends, William Chaney Marsters Brown, 46, Shylin Huirama-Osborne, 26, and Sione Leapulu Nusipepa, 23, and left a fourth passenger seriously injured. Sowerby was found to have a methamphetamine reading of 300ng/ml, six times the high-risk limit, and had six previous convictions for driving while disqualified.
The Crash and Its Aftermath
The details of the crash reveal a shocking and disturbing sequence of events. Sowerby was driving his Holden Captiva south on Peachgrove Road at 4.29am when he came to the crossing. Despite the warning lights flashing and the barrier arm being down, Sowerby overtook the car in front by driving onto the wrong side of the road and ignored his passengers’ protests to stop. He drove diagonally through the barrier arms, and the train, travelling west towards the CBD, was unable to stop and struck the vehicle’s left rear door. The impact caused the vehicle to spin and collide with the metal support of the northbound barrier arm, where it came to a stop. Police arrived at the scene within minutes and found Sowerby in the driver’s seat, where he denied being the driver and later swallowed pills from his bag.
The Sentencing
Sowerby was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for his role in the crash, with a minimum non-parole period of four years. Justice Mathew Downs described Sowerby’s actions as "profoundly reckless" and said that he had taken three lives through his dangerous driving. The judge also noted that Sowerby had ignored pleas from his passengers to stop and had driven while under the influence of methamphetamine. Sowerby’s defence counsel, Nadine Baier, said that her client accepted that the crash was a tragic outcome and that he would have to live with his decision for the rest of his life. She sought a 25 percent discount for Sowerby’s guilty pleas and credit for his background and meth addiction.
The Impact on the Victims’ Families
The crash has had a devastating impact on the families of the victims. A whānau member of Brown said that they didn’t have the words to describe his loss, while a member of Huirama-Osborne’s family said that time had not healed the pain of losing his loved one. Nusipepa’s whānau said that his children would now only get to see him on a screen or on a print. The surviving passenger had been left with life-changing injuries, suffering constant headaches and difficulty breathing. Despite this, he still had "sympathy" for Sowerby, the court heard. Justice Downs noted the impact on the victims’ families and said that nothing he could say could capture the enormity of the harm that Sowerby had done.
Conclusion
The case of Norton Sowerby is a tragic reminder of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and the importance of responsible driving. Sowerby’s actions were "profoundly reckless" and had devastating consequences, resulting in the deaths of three young men and serious injuries to a fourth. The sentence of eight years’ imprisonment reflects the seriousness of the crime and the need to protect the community from drivers who pose a risk to others. The case also highlights the importance of seeking help for addiction and the need for support for those affected by substance abuse.