Burnouts at the cemetery

There were reports last week of a number of boy racers being prosecuted for doing burnouts whilst en route to the Akatarawa Cemetery near Upper Hutt.

This afternoon, Stuff has released raw video footage of the alleged offending. And to be honest, it's pretty ugly stuff. See for yourself at this link.

The mother of the deceased young man is defending those being prosecuted; check this out:

Raw footage has emerged of boy racers doing burn outs during a funeral procession outside of a cemetery in Wellington.

The video posted on Facebook shows multiple cars with their wheels spinning so hot the road outside Akatarawa cemetery in Upper Hutt was shrouded in thick smoke.

The incident happened as mourners were making their way to the cemetery to bury Troy Kahui on March 12.

His mother Karen Kahui last week said the burnouts were a respectful, and safe sendoff for her 22-year-old son, who died from a heart condition.

''It was an appropriate sendoff for a person who was absolutely passionate about drift cars.''

However, police said the incident was the worst involving boy racers in the area in the past five years.

Hutt Valley area commander Inspector Mike Hill said the boy racers also performed burnouts about 100 metres from Birchville Primary School, caused disruptions to traffic in the city, and put the public in danger.

Their actions last month were disrespectful to people buried at the cemetery and intimidated families coming to visit their loved ones, Hill said.

''I'm not aware of anywhere in New Zealand culture where it's acceptable [to do burnouts] at a funeral or after a funeral or in and around a cemetery.

''It's a sacred place.''

Kahui today disagreed.

''It's not disrespectful.

''[At a funeral] you're supposed to be celebrating somone's life.

''That was his life.'' 

Firstly, we sympathise with Ms Kahui on the death of her son. But we cannot agree with her sentiments about celebrating his life. Celebrating someone's life ought not involve wilfully breaking the law, and intimidating members of the poublic going about their lawful business. Nor is it in any way honouring anyone doing burnouts through the gates of a public cemetery.

We don't know how many people are buried at Akatarawa, but we are pretty sure that there will be quite a few whose lives were cut short early by people doing stupid things in cars. Do their lives and deaths have so little meaning that a gang of young men with loud cars and big egos can shatter the peace of a sacred place?

Even if the deceased was a fan of fast cars and tyre smoke, there is a time and a place for everything. Outside and even into a cemetery, especially whilst other burials were in progress is neither, in our ever-humble opinion.