New Zealand Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

New Zealand Case Law

Drug impairment

  • 8 May 2019

    R v Parangi [2019] NZHC 996

    Citation
    [2019] NZHC 996
    Court
    High Court

    The court found the defendant guilty of manslaughter by omission: she left her eight-month-old grandson in a car parked in full sun, was impaired by synthetic cannabis and failed to check on the child; medical evidence was consistent with death from overheating and alternative causes (overlay, external injuries) were rejected; applying sentencing principles and comparative authorities the court set a starting point of 3 years 8 months imprisonment, applied a global mitigation discount of 14 months for good character, mental health vulnerability and cultural/compassionate factors, resulting in…

  • 30 Jun 2017

    R v NEIL,TE WHETU & PARANGI [2017] NZHC 1494

    Citation
    [2017] NZHC 1494
    Court
    High Court

    Court differentiated culpability: Ms Parangi was principally culpable for agreeing to leave the sleeping infant and then going to sleep after consuming synthetic cannabis (starting point 4 years reduced to 3 years); Ms Te Whetu as mother shared responsibility and failed to seek urgent help after the child was returned (starting point 4 years 2 months reduced to 3 years); Mr Neil had no knowledge the child had been left and discovered him ill but failed to summon help due to intoxication (starting point 2 years 9 months reduced to 1 year 11 months with home detention eligibility). Mitigating f…