A skipper has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after the boat he was on collided with a beacon in Tauranga, killing a passenger on board.
Guy Haydon Charles Appleton was today sentenced in the Tauranga High Court to two years and seven months' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Clayton Patrick Graves.
Appleton had previously pleaded guilty to the charge, which was laid following a joint investigation by police and Maritime New Zealand, Detective Sergeant Darryn Gabb said today in a statement.
Graves died on October 5, 2019, when the boat he was a passenger on crashed at Stoney Point.
It was estimated that Mr Appleton, the boat’s skipper, had a blood alcohol level of between 110 to 220 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood at the time of the crash.
“We appreciate this has been an incredibly tough time for them and our thoughts remain with them today,” Gabb said.
Maritime NZ’s central compliance manager, Michael-Paul Abbott, said skippers are legally responsible for the safety of the boat and everyone on board.
“As the skipper, Mr Appleton made a series of poor decisions which led to this tragic event," he said.
“As this incident clearly highlights, boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water.
"You need to stay alert and aware.”
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