28 Feb 2013

Driver accused of killing unborn child to defend charges

6:34 pm on 28 February 2013

A man charged over the death of his unborn child in a car crash in June 2012 will defend the charges.

BililigneGebretsadik is before the Wellington District Court on two charges of careless driving causing injury and one of careless driving causing death.

The latter charge against the 40-year-old relates to the death of his unborn child, following an emergency caesarean on the night of the crash.

Mr Gebretsadik's lawyer, John Miller, told the court on Thursday several matters would be raised when the case is heard, including a possible malfunction of the traffic lights at the crash scene and whether there is a causal link between the crash and the death of the child.

Judge Oke Blaikie remanded the case until April.

The judge said a statement from the accused's wife made it clear that she had suffered huge trauma as a result of the crash, particularly because there had been regular visits to the family's home from New Zealand and foreign media.