Francisca Hawkes-Buchanan saw a man executed in front of her, witnessed one of history's darkest chapters and defied the Nazi occupation of her native Holland.

Last year she died, aged 87, while riding her scooter on Rotorua's roads.

On Tuesday, at Rotorua District Court, Dr Blaithin Patricia Page was sentenced to 100 hours community service after pleading guilty to one charge of operating a vehicle carelessly causing Hawkes-Buchanan's death.

The charge related to a crash on September 25, at the intersection of Arawa and Rangiuru Streets.

Sentencing judge Tony Snell told Page to use her "unique medical skills" in a voluntary capacity that would honour the more than 50 years of humanitarian work conducted by Francisca.

He also sentenced her to make a $5000 emotional harm payment and disqualified her from driving for 15 months.

He had earlier rejected calls from defence lawyer Andy Schulze for a discharge without conviction staying that his clients had shown genuine remorse and entered a guilty plea at the earliest possible opportunity.

He also said her current residency application, and her work in the medical profession, could be adversely affected by a conviction.

Snell, however, rejected those arguments.

He said there would likely be no employment consequences, and "in some ways patients have a right to know who their doctor is".

"I do not think if anybody knew the facts they would lose confidence in you as a general surgeon," he said.

He also dismissed the residency application fears.

He said she had an unblemished record, had apologised directly to family members that attended a restorative justice meeting, and that the offending was an isolated case.

"Isolated offending, entirely out of character with terrible, tragic consequences."

-Stuff/Benn Bathgate