Driver gets bail after child’s hit-and-run death

A man has appeared in court in connection with the alleged hit-and-run death of former Kiwi child star Lionel Allan.

Allan, 39, was found around 8pm last Friday at The Concourse in Henderson, an Auckland suburb, after being hit by a vehicle and sustaining serious injuries.

He died on the spot.

Wiremu Grey, 42, made no plea against charges of failing to stop and determine if anyone was injured and assisted, and another charge of careless driving resulting in death, during his first appearance in Waitakere District Court on Thursday .

He did not seek name suppression in his brief appearance before a clerk and did not speak during the hearing.

The charge of failure to stop carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a $20,000 fine. His bail terms were to live in his home on the North Shore and not to associate with the victim.

He appeared in court, supported by two women.

Allan, who was known for Lionel Wickliffe during his acting days, and long-standing nickname Doeboy, had recurring role character Matt Te Ahi in TV3 teen drama Being Eve from 2001 to 2002.

Before that he had also chalked an apparition on Hercules.

A relative, who declined to be named, told the Herald that Allan had left his troubled past behind.

“He was a devoted father and a good husband,” said the relative.

“He had lived life for his family.”

His mother flew in from Australia for the funeral, which will take place on Friday.

“He was a good kid growing up,” said the relative.

Allan crossed the ditch to find work in 2005, but later ran into a bad mob and was repeatedly arrested and later convicted of assault and jail time.

He was due to be deported after his release, but successfully lobbied Australia’s Administrative Tribunal for a second chance in 2016.

His wife, young child, mother and two sisters lived in Australia, the tribunal noted.

But in 2017, the Australian television program A Current Affair ran a controversial story promising to reveal the “wild thugs” and “cretins” who had managed to avoid deportation after giving the tribunal “sob stories” and “porkies”.

His house was raided and he was placed in immigration detention after the story aired.

Allan’s supporters believed the segment prompted then-immigration secretary Peter Dutton, who had the power to overturn decisions of the tribunal, to take a personal interest in his case. Allan’s employer at the time, Julia Sampo, was among those incensed.

“At work, he showed leadership skills and was on his way to becoming a team leader, running his own job board and focusing on his career,” Sampo, who ran a construction company with her husband, wrote on social media shortly after the segment. broadcast.

“Lionel was present in his young baby’s life, taking care of his wife and making something of himself so that he could use his story to guide others in the right direction.

“As these events unfolded, I couldn’t help but feel that this program was fueling a witch-hunt based on assumptions, disguised by the idea of ​​patriotism, that tugged at the hearts of fellow Australians.”

Earlier this year, he appeared in Auckland District Court for conviction after a drug relapse, resulting in a cluster of new burglary and theft charges.

During the April hearing, Judge David Sharp pointed to another supporting letter, this time from Allan’s new employer.

As part of Allan’s sentence for community surveillance, he was allowed to leave his home during work hours so he could continue to earn for his family and pay back $50 a fortnight to his last victims.

He had to pay $1500 for a stolen trailer and $300 for damage he caused to a Volvo. Other arrests, including an attempted theft from a shop in which he was caught red-handed and the casing of a home in which he was seen on CCTV as he looked through windows and tried to open doors, ultimately failed to result in financial gain, the judge said. noticed.

“There are some real positive aspects of your life that you can refer to,” Sharp added.

“You are someone who has the potential to achieve a consistent and long-term recovery.”

But he also noted that Allan was once again on the cutting edge and could have ended up “passing through that other door” of the courtroom leading to a cell and then to jail.

Allan spoke to the Herald out of court after the conviction.

His wife, who lost her job after his “face was plastered on TV” in Australia, had since moved to New Zealand with their child to be with him. He wanted to be a better person for them, he said.

“I’m severely addicted. I’m an addict and a petty thief,” he said.

“I just want to be an old man with kids and get on with my life.”