Sean Buis was duped into a meeting at a popular drug dealing spot, unaware other parties were coming to collect a debt he owed.
Lance Moore, 36, was sentenced to the manslaughter of Buis when he appeared before Justice Jonathan Eaton in the High Court of Dunedin on Monday afternoon.
The court heard that Moore drove to Unity Park on the night of July 21, 2022 with the intention of collecting a $350 drug debt from Buis.
Buis was struck by a red Ford Falcon, which Moore had earlier borrrowed from a friend, later telling the car owner that the damage was because he had “hit a dog’’.
Moore made no attempt to brake, pinning Bui under the vehicle and dragging him for just over four metres.
Buis suffered multiple fatal injuries, which were not survivable, with the cause of death listed as ‘’multiple blunt force trauma’’, the police summary of facts said.
HAMISH McNEILLY/Stuff
Lance Moore appeared in the High Court of Dunedin on a charge of manslaughter.
Adam Buis, reading from his victim impact statement, said his family were left with unanswered questions, including what sort of father he could have been.
Sean Buis was not a perfect person, but he had more of his life to live.
“He was my best friend . . . He meant so much to so many people.”
His life had not been the same since Buis’ death, and one of the hardest things has been all the unknowns.
That was because Moore had been less than forthcoming.
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Sean Buis, 28, was killed on Eglinton Rd, Dunedin.
What stood out for him was the cowardice of Moore, who kept his head bowed in the dock, who left Sean Buis for dead.
“This is the worst possible thing you can do as a human.”
He believed Moore lied his way through a restorative justice meeting, to get a lower sentence.
And while Moore would eventually be released, it was something the family would have to live with for the rest of their lives.
The police summary of facts said the pair knew each other through a mutual associate, with both dealing and using methamphetamine.
Hamish McNeilly/Stuff
Paramedics could be seen trying to revive a man who was later taken into an ambulance.
The summary noted that Buis owed $350 to a woman who owed the same amount to Moore. She threatened Buis with violence unless he repaid her, or supplied her with methamphetamine.
He did neither, and that led to the woman telling those who moved in the same circles that she was on the lookout for Buis. That led to a mutual friend arranging a meet with Buis on the pretence of buying drugs.
Buis was aware that if he did not pay his drug debt he could have a gang member put on him. That gang member also went to Unity Park.
Buis was not aware of what was about to transpire when he went to Unity Park, a popular place for people to meet and source drugs.
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The red Ford Falcon police say was involved in the death of Sean Buis will be destroyed.
At the same time, the woman he owed money to received confirmation that Buis would be there, and the word was out.
That led to Moore, who was driving his mate’s red Ford Falcon, heading to the park to recover the debt.
But he wasn’t the only one. On arrival, he saw Buis fleeing the gang member on foot. Buis fired several shots from a high-powered air rifle at the pursuing man.
He drove from Unity Park onto Eglinton Rd, and spotted Buis running on the grassed area across the park.
Moore, according to the summary of facts, drove with the intention of knocking Buis down to retrieve the drug money, but just as he did so, Buis tripped on the uneven surface of the roadway and fell onto the road.
Hamish McNeilly/Stuff
Flowers near the site where Sean Buis, of Dunedin, was killed at Unity Park, off Eglinton Rd, in the suburb of Mornington.
Police later issued a plea for sightings of the vehicle, which was recovered in South Dunedin.
Moore was originally charged with murder, but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said Moore, who was a disqualified driver at the time of the offending, callously left Buis for dead.
The court heard he had multiple driving offences, including a road rage incident where he tried to run a person off the road.
Moore’s counsel issued an apology to the family over the death of Buis.
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Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh talks about the case outside of court
Eaton said he was satisfied that Moore’s remorse was genuine.
On the night of the offending, the parties were likely high on methamphetamine, as Moore tried to recover a “modest” drug debt.
The incident was a “graphic and tragic reminder” over the impact of the drug in the wider community.
He sentenced him to four years’ and one month in jail.
The court heard an outburst over the length of the sentence.
Outside court, Detective Senior Sergeant Nik Leigh noted the complexity of the investigation, and the impact of methamphetamine in the community.
