An Indian-origin woman, Sharanjit Kaur, has been sentenced to four years in jail after she pleaded guilty to reckless driving causing death of Jonathan Baker. The road rage took place on June 27 last year and the sentence was handed down by Hamilton District Court, New Zealand. According to reports, Kaur was triggered after she saw a photograph of her ex, referred to Mr R in court documents, with his wife and family at an Indian restaurant. It is not clear whether the man was her ex or current partner. Kaur confronted the man and then started following the wife, referred to as Mrs R. Court documents revealed that Kaur followed Mrs R at high speed, tailgating, brake-checking, and attempting to intimidate her. She drove recklessly on the wrong side of Boyd Road at speeds between 125–136 km/h before smashing into Baker’s vehicle. He died instantly and Kaur sustained minor injuries.
‘Mistress chasing the wife…like a bad novel’
49-year-old Baker’s widow Andrea told the court how devastated she was when she received the news of her husband’s death. She said her Christian faith prompted her to forgive Kaur. “In forgiveness for me comes freedom in the long run… I do forgive you, my hope is with you hearing these words… learn from it and do some good.”Baker’s mother-in-law Colleen told the court that Kaur killed a totally innocent man. “The mistress chasing the wife… is beyond comprehension, it’s like a bad novel”.She said a drunk or drugged driver-or even an angry wife chasing a mistress – would have made some sense.Kaur’s lawyer Anjeet Singh said she knew nothing she could say would alleviate the Bakers’ pain, but her client “accepts full responsibility”. She said the photo “led to a psychological collapse… Something more than rage”. The photo brought forth years of turmoil and uncertainty around her eight-year relationship, she said pleading for home detention, which was rejected.
