Hamilton Trial: Driver Expressed Seizure Fears to GP Days Before Fatal Pedestrian Collision

A 27-year-old on trial for a fatal Hamilton crash reportedly saw a GP days earlier expressing fears of a seizure, despite prior medical warnings not to drive.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 4:22 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

Medical Concerns Preceding the Incident

On the second day of the judge-alone trial before Judge Arthur Tompkins, the court heard from Dr. David Dewes, a now-retired GP who saw the defendant on April 23, 2021—three days before the collision. Dr. Dewes testified that during triage, the man reported he had not been sleeping well and was worried about suffering a seizure, following a recent hospital admission for similar events.

The consultation touched upon "somatoform disorder," a condition involving psychogenic or "psychiatric" seizures that mimic epileptic fits but originate from psychological distress or anxiety rather than neurological electrical surges. Despite the defendant's vocalized fears about his health, Dr. Dewes noted that the man appeared "normal" during the appointment and that the specific legality or safety of his driving was not discussed at that time.

Conflicting Testimony on Driving Restrictions

A central pillar of the Crown’s case involves whether the defendant was explicitly told not to drive. Cambridge neurologist Dr. Peter Wright testified that during an appointment in November 2018, the defendant was instructed to abstain from driving for 12 months. This directive followed several seizure-like events that Dr. Wright initially believed were anxiety-related, though he could not definitively rule out epilepsy.

Defense counsel Ashleigh Beech challenged the certainty of this instruction, questioning whether the defendant had actually received a follow-up letter sent in February 2019 confirming the driving ban. Dr. Wright maintained there was "no ambiguity" in the medical advice provided. Beech also highlighted that patients experiencing such events often suffer from "patchy memory" or total amnesia regarding the moments surrounding a loss of consciousness.