Almira Pasaol came to New Zealand from the Philippines for work to provide a better life for her family, but was killed by a drug driver.

The 28-year-old’s life was cut short when Mark Antony Quinn crashed into her car near Kinleith, south of Rotorua, killing her instantly.

Her distraught mother spoke to Quinn via video link at his sentencing in the Rotorua District Court on Friday.

Pasaol’s mother said through tears that her daughter made sacrifices and left the Philippines to be a dairy farm worker in the region.

“She left home to pursue a better life for us, sacrificing comfort and closeness because she wanted to provide for her family and build a future she believed we all deserved.”

She said there were profound and lasting impacts as a result of her daughter’s death and no words could capture the depth of the family’s pain and emptiness.

Quinn, 29, from Tūrangi, has been jailed for two years, seven months and two weeks after admitting a charge of drugged driving causing death.

The crash happened on October 22 last year on State Highway 1 near Kinleith.

Judge Anna Skellern said Quinn had a learner’s driver’s licence and was the sole occupant of a car that was heading north towards Tokoroa on State Highway 1.

He entered a stretch of highway north of Kinleith Rd that transitioned from a single lane into a double passing lane for northbound traffic.

Mark Quinn appears in the Rotorua District Court, where he was sentenced to jail for drugged driving causing the death of Almira Pasaol, from the Philippines. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Quinn fell asleep while driving, and the car moved across both northbound lanes and into the path of Pasaol’s vehicle.

She suffered head, spine and limb injuries and died at the scene.

A blood test found Quinn had 11 (plus or minus 3) nanograms per millilitre of THC in his blood, which was deemed a high level.

Judge Skellern noted Quinn had 14 previous infringements for driving faults.

A support letter from an agency said Quinn had been clean from drugs since the incident, and his daily cannabis use had stopped.

He had tried to find work but had so far been unsuccessful.

His lawyer, Andrew Allerton, provided two support letters that spoke highly of him.

Crown prosecutor Kris Bucher submitted the extremely high level of cannabis in Quinn’s system was an aggravating factor.

Bucher also noted Quinn was driving outside his licence conditions and he had a history of doing so.

What the judge said

Judge Skellern said the death had had a “dramatic impact” on Pasaol’s family.

She gave a starting point of three years and six months’ jail but a discount of 25% for his guilty plea.

She didn’t give any discount for remorse as she noted a pre-sentence report writer felt Quinn was more remorseful for the situation he found himself in.

The end sentence was 31-and-a-half months’ jail. His release would be up to the parole board.

Quinn will be disqualified from driving for two years once he’s released from prison and he has been ordered to pay Pasaol’s family $1000 in emotional harm reparation.

A mother’s grief

Pasaol’s mother said she carried the weight of unimaginable loss.

She said it was devastating to think about the extensive injuries her daughter suffered and that she died alone.

The financial costs had been extensive, as she was the breadwinner of the family.

“Without her, everything is heavier and more difficult. Our family is no longer the same.”

She said in their culture, family was very important and everyone supported each other.

“Even during important celebrations like birthdays, holidays and gatherings, there is always an empty space and we feel her absence deeply.”

She said Pasaol was very special to them, and distance between their countries made the loss more painful because they were not able to be by her side during her final moments.

“Almira was kind, responsible and selfless. Even as a child, she was obedient and respectful.

“She had dreams, she wanted to build a life of her own and have a family someday, but she chose to help us first. She deserved to grow older, she deserved to lead the life she worked so hard for. Instead, her life ended because of an irresponsible decision.”

She said they found it hard to accept this was God’s will.

“Because of someone’s recklessness, our family continues to struggle with the emotional weight of her absence and that loss will remain with us for the rest of our lives.”

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.