A Christchurch woman has been sentenced over the death of former Mount Aspiring College (MAC) student Sean Dickey, who died in a vehicle collision earlier this year. 

In August 61-year-old Anja Jacoba Maria Hermina Derks pled guilty to careless driving causing death and careless driving causing injury and late last week she was sentenced in Christchurch District Court by judge Quentin Hix.

Sean was riding his motorcycle in Halswell, Christchurch, on April 19 when he was involved in a collision with another motorcycle and a car and was killed. 

The 22-year-old was a student and St John officer and the other motorcycle rider - another off-duty St John officer - was injured in the collision.

At Thursday’s (November 18) sentencing, Judge Hix said the case was one of the most difficult types for the court to conduct, NZME reported.

“Nothing she says is ever going to undo it or bring young Sean back. A young man’s life was lost and a son was taken away.”

The remorse Anja showed was genuine and she had a “completely unblemished” driving record, he said.

She was sentenced to 100 hours of community work, disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay an emotional harm payment of $3,000.

Sean’s parents, Steve and Mei Lian Dickey, are long-time Wānaka locals. 

In court Mei Lian read from a victim impact statement about the pride she and Steve had in their only son - his ambition, kindness and his generosity of spirit - and the harrowing aftermath of his death, NZME reported.

“I can count the good times on my hand, there are not many... No one can give me an answer on when I will feel better,” she said. “The grief has settled in all parts of my body.”

She said she likes to imagine he died on a “beautiful evening riding with his best mate”.

The sentencing payment paid by Anja will go towards a charitable trust set up in Sean’s name by his parents, and to Sean’s friend who was also involved in the crash who has had to take a significant time off work to recover from his injuries. 

During his childhood in Wānaka Sean was active in volunteer work, in particular with St John; he was a sailing instructor; and part of the MAC kapa haka group.

He became a Wānaka St John cadet at six years old and had become a full-time emergency medical technician at 21, shortly before his death.

Read also: Locals mourn loss of ‘inspiring young man’

PHOTO: Supplied