Sapphire Te Aroha Skipper-Hira

A young mother charged with causing the death of her own daughter while driving under the influence of methamphetamine has been found guilty. Hastings mother Valencia Marie Skipper, 21, was charged with causing the death of 2-year-old Saphire Te Aroha Skipper-Hira in January last year, while under the influence of the Class A drug. Skipper, who is pregnant, appeared in a brief judge alone trial before Judge Tony Adeane in Napier District Court on Monday. Skipper's lawyer William Hawkins applied for the charge of causing death while under the influence to be amended to a lesser charge, but Judge Adeane declined the application and found the current charge proved. The charge carried the same maximum penalty as drink-driving causing death – up to 10 years in prison, or a $20,000 fine. The crash occurred on State Highway 50A, on the outskirts of Hastings between Omahu Rd and Flaxmere Ave, just before 5pm on January 13, 2016. A summary of facts said Skipper had been a forbidden driver at the time. While she did not own the car she had driven it several times. There were two other occupants in the car; Skipper's 11-year-old sister, who was in the front passenger's seat, and Saphire. Saphire was unrestrained in a child car seat in the rear left of the car. Skipper lost control of the car causing it to veer across the centre-line towards oncoming traffic. "Witnesses described the vehicle suddenly veering or 'ricocheting' right across the road with no explanation as to why this had occurred," the summary stated. The car slid across the road onto a large grassed area. It continued sliding on the grass over a concrete culvert before jumping a small ditch and colliding into a dirt bank. It ended up resting on all four wheels. Saphire was thrown from the car and received significant injuries. She died at the scene, despite attempts to resuscitate her by ambulance staff and motorists who had stopped to help. Skipper and her sister were taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital with minor injuries. Blood tests showed no evidence of alcohol in Skipper's blood, but it did contain methamphetamine. Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/86083237/mother-pleads-guilt...