Hayden Tasker.
Photo: The Press / Iain McGregor
Hayden Tasker was drunk, annoyed about life and motivated by anger toward police before he drove into two officers in Nelson, killing one and critically injuring another, a court has heard.
Tasker, 33, is on trial at the Christchurch High Court for the murder of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2025.
The Crown argues Tasker had murderous intent when he drove at police, while his defence lawyer told jurors the tragedy was a result of Tasker trying to take his own life.
The jury was played CCTV and cellphone footage of the night Fleming and colleague Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay were struck by the white Honda Odyssey Tasker was driving.
The pair had been on foot patrol in Buxton Square in central Nelson.
Crown prosecutor Mark O’Donoghue.
Photo: The Press / Iain McGregor
Crown prosecutor Mark O’Donoghue told the jury that Tasker had murderous intent when he hit the police officers, his vehicle dragging Fleming across the carpark for around 20 metres, causing unsurvivable injuries.
“The Crown case in a nutshell is that Mr Tasker intentionally drove into those two police officers. He appreciated that death was a likely consequence of accelerating as hard as he could and driving into them and he showed that he was willing to run the risk of causing their death by driving into them all the same.”
Ramsay was thrown into the air, resulting in a dislocated shoulder a deep cut on his head and multiple other cuts and abrasions.
Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2025.
Photo: NZ Police / RNZ
O’Donoghue said when Tasker was interviewed by police, he referred to using a car as a weapon, said he had been depressed after seeing his ex at the pub the day before and that he wanted to kill himself.
“He talked about a plan to ram into some cops and they would start chasing him, but he would get away, kind of like in a movie. He claimed he was drunk and he wasn’t thinking of the consequences.”
Tasker had been living in his car in Motueka. On New Year’s Eve he bought several bottles of wine and spent time with friends, before driving into central Nelson and arriving in Buxton Square.
“During this time he drank about half a bottle of wine, he drank rapidly, he sculled it, as he put it, and he was ruminating and brooding on his personal life circumstances,” he said.
While sitting in his car, O’Donoghue said Tasker’s thoughts turned to anger towards the police.
A short time later, Tasker started his car and with the lights off, turned around and “accelerated as hard as he could”, driving straight towards Fleming and Ramsay and hitting them, causing other members of the public to leap out of the way.
“To use his own words, he f***ing planted it,” O’Donoghue said.
O’Donoghue said Fleming suffered catastrophic, unsurvivable head injuries.
“She had to be resuscitated at the scene and she was taken to Nelson Hospital by ambulance. There she was placed on life support until her family could gather to say goodbye,” he said.
Ramsay was thrown about eight metres and landed beside a police car.
O’Donoghue said Tasker then turned his lights on and looped back to drive towards the officers, ramming a police car and leaving the officer inside concussed.
The car was shunted forward, injuring a member of the public who had gone to Ramsay’s aid.
Tasker admitted three charges of dangerous driving at the beginning of the trial. He was three times over the legal blood alcohol limit.
Defence lawyer Josh Lucas.
Photo: The Press / Iain McGregor
Defence lawyer Josh Lucas said Tasker was drunk, homeless, unemployed and suffering from depression at the time of the crash.
“Mr Tasker made a failed suicide attempt, which went wrong from the moment it started,” he said.
Lucas said it was accepted that Tasker had killed Fleming, but he had not intended to. Her death and the injuries caused to Ramsay and others were tragic and something Tasker would have to live with for the rest of his life.
Lucas said it was a tragedy that Fleming was killed and Ramsay and others injured and it was something Tasker would have to live with for the rest of his life.
“He regrets what happened. He is sorry for the loss and harm he caused. As he said to the police when interviewed, ‘it should have been me who died that night’,” he said.
Lucas told the jurors it was their task to determine Tasker’s intention that night.
He said they needed to review all the evidence, including his personal circumstances, what Tasker told the police shortly after he was arrested, the length of time between when he first began to drive towards the police car and when he hit them, the effects of alcohol on his state of mind that night in determining his intent.
Lucas said Tasker did not mean to kill Fleming, he did not know that what he was doing at the time was likely to cause death.
He said the Crown had to prove a reasonable doubt that Tasker intended to cause injuries likely to cause death, that he had a “conscious appreciation that death was a likely consequence of his actions” and he continued regardless.
“That is a high threshold, being careless about death resulting, not turning your mind to the risk, or not caring at all is insufficient.”
Where to get help:
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Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
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Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
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