John MacDonald: This guy should never drive again - but he's going to

We can safely say that someone who rides their motorbike at 110 kph in a 50 kph area is a threat. 

We can also safely say that someone who  rides their motorbike at 110 kph in a 50 kph area and runs a red light is a danger.

We can also safely say that someone who  rides their motorbike at 110 kph in a 50 kph area, runs a red light and kills two pedestrians is a menace.

This is a real-life story. And, upfront, I’m going to say that the person responsible is someone who should never be allowed to ride a motorbike or drive a car again. But under current laws, he can. And he is going to be allowed to. 

The person I’m talking about is Mark Kimber. And, in July 2022, he was doing exactly what I’ve just described. On Friday, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for the manslaughter of Karen and Geoffrey Boucher. And when he gets out of prison, his licence will be taken off him for three years.  

The Bouchers had been out for dinner at a restaurant in Bethlehem, about 8 kilometres from Tauranga, and were crossing the road when they were killed by this guy. Both of them died at the scene. 

But here’s where it gets worse. If it could.  

Before the crash, he had 11 prior convictions for bad driving. These included careless driving, speeding, drink-driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving while suspended. He also had 70 driving infringements on his record.   

What’s more, in the time between the fatal crash and his appearance in court, he was done for speeding twice. 

Which tells me that this guy has proven that he will never change and he should never be allowed to have a driver’s licence again. 

Tell that to the sentencing judge, though. Who seemed to think that this guy's childhood needed to be taken into account when she was sentencing him for the manslaughter of this innocent couple. 

I’m not going to get too bogged down on that side of it. Because it’s the fact that this judge thinks losing his licence for three years is a tough enough penalty. 

At the moment, someone in New Zealand can lose their licence indefinitely and can only get it back if they've proved that they've done something about their drinking or drug-taking. 

But I don‘t think this guy should ever be allowed to drive again. Because he has shown time and time again that he doesn't give a stuff about anyone else on the road. 

If anything, it’s the two speeding offences he committed between the time of the crash and his day in court that ram it home for me. 

When someone kills two people like this guy did, you would think that they might be a bit more cautious on the road.  

Especially, knowing that're going to be hauled through the court for it.  

But Mark Kimber didn’t take his foot of the pedal. And it’s my view that people like him need to be kept off our roads for good. And, instead of “indefinite disqualification” being the strongest punishment we hand out to repeat offenders like him, we should be taking their driver’s licences off them for good. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
We can safely say I reckon, I'll write it past you.
We can safely say that someone who rides their motorbike
at one hundred and ten k's in a fifty k area,
we can safely say that they are a threat. We
can also safely say that someone who rides their motorbike
at one hundred and ten k's in a fifty k
area and runs a red light is a danger. And

(00:39):
we can also ready safely say that someone who rides
their motorbike at one hundred and ten k's in a
fifty k area runs a red light and kills two
pedestrians in the process. We can say they're a menace,
can't we? Absolute menace? Now, this is a real life

(01:00):
story which gets worse. But up front, I'm going to
say that this clown, this guy on the motorbike should
never be allowed to ride a motorbike, or should never
be allowed to drive a car again or any vehicle.
But under current laws, he can and he is going

(01:21):
to be allowed to. Now, the person I'm talking about,
his name is Mark Kimber. Probably haven't heard from him
or heard of him. And in July twenty thousand, twenty
twenty two, July twenty twenty two, he was doing exactly
what I've just described to you. And on Friday he
was sentenced to three and a half years in prison

(01:43):
for the manslaughter of Karen and Jeffrey Boucher. And when
he gets out of prison, his license will be taken
off him for three cruddy years. Three years. So, the
Bouchers had been out for dinner at a restaurant in Bethlehem,
which is about eight k's from Todinger, and they are
crossing the road when they were by this guy. Both

(02:07):
of them died at the scene. But here's where it
gets worse. I mean, if it could possibly absolute tragedy,
but it does get worse because before the crash, this
guy had eleven prior convictions for bad driving. These included
careless driving, speeding, drink driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop,

(02:29):
and driving while suspended. He also had seventy driving infringements
on his record. And what's more, what about this and
the time between the fatal crash and his appearance in court.
The period between the crash and court, he was done
for speeding twice, which tells me that this guy, he's proven,

(02:53):
he's delivered all the proof we need, he's proven that
he will never change, and that he should never be
allowed to have a driver's license again. That's what I think.
Never again. Tell that to the sentencing judge, though, who
seemed to think that the crazy childhood this guy had
needed to be taken into account when she was sentencing him.

(03:18):
Got the manslaughter and the driving charges. Now, I'm not
going to get bogged down on the manslaughter or the
three years in prison or three and a half years
in prison. Not going to get too bogged down on
that side of it, because it's the fact that this
judge thinks losing his license for three years is a
tough enough penalty with a record like that. Now at

(03:41):
the moment, someone in New Zealand can lose their license
indefinitely and they can only get it back if they
prove that they've done something about their drinking or their
drug taking. But after reading about this case, I didn't
think that goes far enough. I don't think. I don't
think this guy should ever be allowed to drive again,
because he's shown time and time again he doesn't give
us stuff about anyone else on the road. If anything,

(04:04):
it's the two speeding offenses he committed between the time
of the crash and the court hearing. That really ram
at home for me, remembering too he was caught twice.
Chances are there were other times he was speeding after
the crash but just didn't get caught. But when someone
kills two people like this guy did, you would think,

(04:26):
wouldn't you, that they might be a little bit more
cautious on the road, especially knowing that they were going
to be hauled through the court for it. But no, no, no,
Mark Kimber. He didn't take his foot off the pedal,
which is more than enough to tell me that he's
never going to change. He's never going to change, and
he should never be allowed on the road again. The
judge though, that is what she said. Quote. She was

(04:50):
greatly encouraged by the letters of support that she received
about him. He'd become involved with the church, sought addictions services,
and had received mentoring. He also raised ten thousand bucks
to offer the family for emotional harm reparation, but the
family didn't want to be of his money. They also
didn't want his letter of apology read out in court.
And who would blame them for that? My view is

(05:14):
that if he has changed his ways to the extent
he has, then he wouldn't have kept up the speeding
after that terrible crash, would he? And it's my view
that people like Mark Kimber need to be kept off
our roads for good. And instead of indefinite disqualification being
the strongest punishment we can hand out to repeat offenders
like this, bear in mind too, he'd only got a

(05:34):
three year license suspension. If indefinite disqualification is the strongest
punishment we have, that's not enough and we should be
taking driver's licenses off people like this for life. We
need a lifetime driving ban.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
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