A jury has been shown the moment murder accused Hayden Tasker’s alcohol breath test registered at three times over the legal limit, in the hours after he fatally struck Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming with his car on New Year’s morning in 2025.
By Mason Herbert and Laura James
It’s the eighth day of the 33-year-old’s murder trial at the High Court in Christchurch.
He argues he’s guilty of manslaughter, not murder, in relation to Fleming’s death. He has also pleaded not guilty to intentionally causing grievous bodily injury to another officer, Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay.
Tasker was taken to Nelson Police Station after the incident in Buxton Square.
Constable Taylor Simpson-Brown, was with him as he was transferred, describing his behaviour as “aggressive, obstructive” and “not very compliant”.
Simpson-Brown stayed with the accused in his cell, the pair discussing the seizures he’d appeared to have earlier at the scene.
“We briefly spoke about if it was a common thing that he had seizures.”
The defendant told the officer about an incident when he’d been knocked out or assaulted, resulting in a seizure.
While they were talking, the officer noticed Tasker was bouncing his leg. “He told me that was part of his seizure."
The court yesterday heard evidence that Tasker was known to fake seizures.
One officer who avoided being hit by Hayden Tasker later called an ambulance for the murder accused, a court has heard. (Source: 1News)
Sergeant Craig Beatson, who knew the defendant since he was a child, arrived at the scene after the collision. On seeing the defendant on the ground, he told other officers present he didn't believe the seizures were real.
He told the jury that he swore at the defendant that night, telling him to get up.
Tasker had no further seizure-like behaviour after that point, Beatson said, and Constable Simpson-Brown reaffirmed that today.
"The shaking stopped," he said.
Simpson-Brown was also the officer who officially checked Tasker’s alcohol levels at the station.
He recalled it was obvious the defendant was intoxicated.
“I noticed sort of red eyes, bloodshot eyes, slur in his speech and you definitely smelled the presence of alcohol in his breath.”
He initially carried out a breath screening test, with the reading coming back at more 400 milligrams per litre of breath.
“The legal limit for driving with alcohol is 250,” Simpson-Brown explained.
After taking a more precise breath test, Tasker blew 819 milligrams.
Typically, two breath test samples were required, but Tasker declined a second.
A blood sample was subsequently taken, which came back as 167 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50.
Simpson-Brown said detecting that level of intoxication from a driver would usually result in a court summons, but not an instant disqualification from driving.
Asked by the Crown how slurred Tasker’s speech was, he said: “I wouldn't say it was through every word, but it was definitely noticeable.”
The defence contended the 33-year-old was depressed and intoxicated that night. and intended to start a police chase, with the end goal of his suicide.
But the Crown said he aimed to hit the officers with his car – well aware it could result in death – as he was angry at police that night.
The trial continues.
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