Police will prosecute two teenagers in connection with the January 8 death of Bishop Thompson on Lake Okareka.
Two 18 year olds will be charged under the Maritime Transport Act, says Detective Sergeant John Wilson of the Rotorua police.
File Picture.
'It's carelessly or dangerously operating a watercraft, it's the water borne equivalent of careless use,” says John.
'Both of the guys who we believe are culpable are being charged.
'Under the Maritime Transport Act there is no offence causing death, so it goes from careless use to the next thing in the line, manslaughter. There's nothing in between. It's not graduated like the Transport Act.”
The recommendation comes from the Rotorua Crown Solicitor. The maximum penalty for that offence is 12 months imprisonment or $10,000 fine.
Bishop, 17, disappeared following a jetski accident on the lake on January 8.
His body was found on January 12 following an intensive underwater search of the lake by police and navy dive teams.
1 comment
Wot about the parents ?
Posted on 18-02-2011 20:39 | By philthrottle
Who provided this kid with a jetski but neglected to ensure that he wore a lifejacket ? The whole whanau seemed to be there during the hand wringing phase of the operation but how much attention were they paying when it mattered ?
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.