The man who rammed his Mercedes early in the morning of December 23, 2017, on to a taxi killing the driver has been sentenced to three years and eight months jail by Auckland Court earlier this morning.
29-year-old Abdul Raheem Fahad Syed died in the crash and is survived by his wife and two-year-old son.
The drunk driver identified as Farshad Bahadori Esfehani, and his passenger escaped the scene before getting tracked down by the police. Farshad earlier in May had pleaded guilty to drink driving and to cause death.
Farshad appeared in the High Court at Auckland on Tuesday in front of the justice Mark Woolford, where he was sentenced to imprisonment for three years and eight months, disqualified from driving for four years and ordered to pay $12,000 to the family of the victim.
The Crown Prosecutor Emma Smith told the court that the person has driven poorly and went through many red lights between Waterloo Quadrant and Symonds St on the night of the accident, NZ Herald reported.
Syed's widow, Nishat Abedi and their son were also present at the court.
The scene of the crash on Symonds St in December 2017. Photo- Jason Oxenham
A statement by deceased Abdul Raheem's father was read in the court that read that he visited his son's grave every day.
"It is very painful for my family and me, it's a sad demise of our loved son ... a loving husband and caring father of a 5-month-old at the time of the accident," it read, as reported by NZ Herald.
"I go to my son's grave every single day ... I ask Allah to give my son back if possible."
Abdu Raheem's father said he could not find the words to describe "how painful it is for a father to bury his own son".
"My innocent son lost his life."
His father also added in the statement that what his family more was that Farshad fled from the scene "without bothering to take him to a nearby hospital," the statement read.
"It was his duty to stay by my son," the Abdul Raheem's father said.
The court was told the Farshad was driving erratically and had crossed three red lights after fleeing police from a carpark, NZ Herald reported.
Farshad was driving at the speed of 84 kmph and at the time of impact it was 61-74 kmph, the court was told.
It was also said that the force of the impact of the car pushed the taxi to 10 metres away of its stationary position on the road.
Farshad and his passenger had fled the scene of the crash before a police Eagle helicopter located them on a street a few blocks away.
Farshad had a breath alcohol reading of 908mcg of alcohol per litre of breath which is over is 250mcg, (the limit for drivers aged 20 years) and those who blow over 400mcg face a criminal charge.
Farshad's lawyer Mark Ryan said his client responsible for the accident, and genuinely remorseful, NZ Herald reported.
More than $80,000 was raised for Mr Syed's family following his death, and his body was repatriated to Hyderabad, South India.
Mr Syed had only recently welcomed a baby son with his wife, who was five-months-old when he was killed.
His cousin Syed Jaffar Mehmodi described him as a soft-hearted man, who worked hard and moved to New Zealand two years before his death.
Abdul Raheem's wife Nishad along with their toddler had travelled to India to conduct the last rites and bury his mortal remains.
Farshad Esfehani, pictured during an earlier High Court appearance. Photo - Sam Hurley