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Indian-origin woman sentenced in fatal New Zealand road rage
A psychiatrist confirmed that Kaur was suffering from chronic mental-health decline and had reached a breaking point.
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Pranavi Sharma - Sun, 06, Jul 2025
- 00:26 EDT
- 39
Sharanjit Kaur / The New Zealand Herald
Sharanjit Kaur, an Indian-origin woman, has been sentenced to 4 years in prison after a road rage incident in Auckland, New Zealand, led to the death of Jonathan “Jono” Baker on June 27 last year. Kaur was also disqualified from driving for 5 years.
According to The New Zealand Herald, the crash occurred when Kaur pursued her partner’s wife at high speed and drove on the wrong side of the road, colliding with Baker’s vehicle. Baker, 49, was a Department of Corrections staff member and probation team leader. He died instantly from a ruptured aorta. Kaur suffered only minor injuries.
Kaur became enraged after seeing a recent family photo that included her partner and his wife. She followed the wife, overtook and cut her off in a Toyota, and stopped in the middle of the road. She then struck the driver's side window before accelerating away.
Driving at speeds between 125 and 136 km/h, Kaur failed to brake as she crested a hill, leading to the fatal head-on collision with Baker’s car.
In court, Baker’s mother-in-law said the incident, which began over a simple photograph, "read like the plot of a poorly written novel."
Crown prosecutors argued that Kaur had engaged in an extremely dangerous pattern of driving—brake-checking, overtaking at high speed, and failing to maintain control—motivated by rage. They noted that Kaur had prior speeding offences on her record.
Kaur’s lawyer told the court that the photograph triggered a psychological breakdown following an emotionally difficult eight-year relationship. During that time, she had received repeated promises from her partner that he would leave his wife.
A psychiatrist confirmed that Kaur was suffering from chronic mental-health decline and had reached a breaking point.
Despite the defence’s argument for home detention, Judge Tompkins said a custodial sentence was necessary. He began with a five-year term, applying a 20 percent reduction for her guilty plea, resulting in a four-year prison sentence.
The court concluded that Kaur’s actions were not only reckless but directly responsible for an avoidable tragedy.
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