Connor Cole Boyd, 18, was run over after falling from a moving car in Auckland’s CBD in the early hours of April 24, 2022 after a night of escalating tensions. He died in hospital days later.
Two 20-year-olds, who were 18 at the time, were jailed earlier this year after being found guilty of manslaughter.
On Monday, the 20-year-old woman argued her name should be kept a secret forever at the Court of Appeal. The judges reserved their decision.
A young woman jailed for the manslaughter of Connor Boyd is continuing her fight to keep her name secret forever.
Boyd was run over after he fell from a moving ute in Auckland’s CBD in the early hours of April 24, 2022, after a night of escalating tensions among a group of friends.
The young woman was found guilty of manslaughter as a party, while her then-boyfriend, who was the driver of the ute, was found guilty of manslaughter. She was also sentenced for assaulting another woman.
On Monday, the 20-year-old appeared at the Court of Appeal in Wellington via a video link from prison, appealing her prison sentence of 26 months, seeking continued suppression and bail pending the appeal decision.
Emma Priest, acting on behalf of the woman, submitted there was no dispute she was responsible for Boyd’s death and that was a life-long consequence. But she should have been sentenced to home detention, she said.
Priest submitted Justice Ian Gault’s sentence was manifestly excessive and inadequate discounts were given for her youth, previous good character, rehabilitative efforts, remorse and mental health.
In regards to the appeal against Justice Gault’s refusal to grant permanent name suppression, Priest submitted her client had been subjected to online backlash.
Priest said a lot of the social media vitriol concerned her client being wrongly labelled a murderer and there was misguided hatred towards the young woman.
If she was named, this would likely increase, Priest submitted.
Hannah Clark, appearing on behalf of Crown Law, opposed both the appeal against sentence, appeal against suppression and bail appeal.
The women and man were found guilty of manslaughter.
“What [the defendant] asks from the court is to artificially tinker with the sentence to make home detention available.”
Clark said the jail term was appropriate given all the factors.
She also submitted Boyd’s family were opposed to name suppression.
Clark said it was not a lack of suppression that had caused some of the misinformation on social media sites.
Justices Francis Cook, David Collins and Simon Moore reserved their decision.
Pointless teen drama
The final moments of Connor Boyd’s life were captured on CCTV camera and played during the trial.
His sister, Tyler, spoke at the sentencing of the pain of seeing those moments played over and over again with the defendants showing no remorse.
“Mum always taught us to take responsibility and accountability for our actions whether they were good or bad,” Tyler said.
The messy back story to the night included shifting teenage friendships, one-night stands, overlapping friend groups, drunken grandstanding, but also plain and simple bullying that got out of control and led to the death of Boyd, prosecutor Claire Paterson said to the jury in her closing.
At about 2am, Ella Olson was standing in the Customs St laneway when the woman came up behind her and pulled her hair, causing Olson to fall to the ground. The woman admitted this assault before trial.
Later that night Boyd was punched by the male defendant and even later the female defendant pushed, kicked and punched him.
Boyd stood back and walked away. That was something his family told the judge was like just Boyd, someone who never condoned violence and avoided confrontation.
The group then dispersed. The defendants left in the man’s Toyota Hilux, and it was while they were on Gore St, they both said that Boyd walked over to the ute, and made threatening comments.
The female defendant said she pushed Boyd and then slapped him before the male defendant grabbed on to him and started driving. This all happened in the space of seconds.
The male defendant previously said he was scared for his safety and the safety of his passengers as Boyd punched him through the car window.
In the CCTV footage, another arm can be seen out the Hilux window grabbing Boyd. Justice Gault said it was the woman’s arm.
Boyd can be seen running alongside the vehicle and hanging on to the runner board, before he appeared to fall and his head and body were run over.
The man continued driving. Seven minutes later, the female defendant called 111, saying “some dude tried to f... up my boyfriend”.