The man who killed Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming is being sentenced for her murder in the High Court at Nelson on Friday.

Hayden Tasker, 33, was found guilty of murdering Lyn Fleming and seriously injuring her colleague Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay after a two week trial at the Christchurch High Court in May.

The officers were overseeing the New Year's Eve policing operation in Nelson, when they were hit by a car driven by Tasker.

Over two weeks, a jury at the Christchurch High Court heard from more than 40 witnesses, including members of the public and police officers who were in the central Nelson car park in the early hours of New Year's Day.

He admitted three charges of dangerous driving at the beginning of the trial and had earlier plead guilty to charges of driving while disqualified and driving with excess blood alcohol.

The court heard how Tasker drove into the Buxton Square car park in his White Honda Odyssey just after 2am on 1 January 2025.

What unfolded shortly afterwards was documented by CCTV footage, cellphone videos taken by members of the public and eyewitness accounts.

He drove at a group of police officers and a patrol car near the centre of the carpark, forcing members of the public to jump out of the way, before hitting both Ramsay and Fleming.

Ramsay was sent into the air and landed eight metres away near another patrol car, while Fleming was carried with the Odyssey and projected forward, landing around 20 metres from where she was hit.

She was given CPR by her fellow officers, then paramedics, before she was taken to Nelson Hospital where she was put on life support until her family were able to gather to say goodbye.

Ramsay was also taken to hospital where he was found to have a dislocated and fractured shoulder, two gashes on either side of his head that left his skull visible, and numerous cuts and abrasions, some that went through several layers of skin.

After hitting the pair, Tasker then looped around the carpark and drove back towards the officers, ramming into the back of a white police car, shunting it several metres forward.

The impact knocked over Sergeant Craig Barker who had gone to Ramsay's aid, left Constable Jemma Radcliffe who had been inside the car with a concussion and struck Tasman Cook, who was also helping Ramsay, with enough force it broke her arm.

Tasker was arrested at the scene and breath tested shortly after. He was found to be more than three times over the legal breath alcohol limit.

The jury found he had intended to murder Fleming and injure Ramsay when he hit them with his car, rejecting his claim that he crashed into the officers in a failed attempt to take his own life.

The Crown argued Tasker was motivated by anger towards the police and used his car as a weapon to mow them down.

A death that never should have happened

Fleming was the 34th New Zealand police officer, and the first female officer to be killed in the line of duty.

After the trial, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said the loss of Senior Sergeant Fleming, who had been a police officer for more than 38 years, continued to "feel raw for all".

"This should never have happened at all. Lyn, and those with her that night, were targeted solely because of the uniform they wore.

"Our police officers were simply doing their jobs that night and trying to keep the public safe.

"I hope we never again have to go through the tragedy of losing a colleague. That is sadly not something that can be guaranteed in our line of work."

Tasman District Commander Superintendent Tracey Thompson said Fleming should not have died that night.

"Officers and everyday members of the community should not have had to witness the terrible scenes in that car park. We should not have had to knock on the door of families to tell them their loved ones were in hospital.

She said the guilty verdict brought closure, but it would never bring Fleming back, or erase the traumatic events of that night.