Judge castigates ‘shocking’ driving

Press, 28 February 1986, Page 7

Judge castigates ‘shocking’ driving

Community service for 140 hours was imposed in the District Court yesterday on a youth whose car crashed into a bank at Little River on October 26 last, killing a male passenger and injuring two women passengers.

Judge Palmer told Richard William Holland, aged 19, that the offending was “shocking” and reflected gross irresponsibility. He said, in response to counsel, that he would not deal with the matter by way of a monetary penalty.

“It is just too serious to deal with in that way,” the Judge said. Holland, a trainee tech-

nician (Mr D. J. Boyle), was earlier convicted of causing the death of Wayne Michael Kerr by driving at a dangerous speed, causing bodily injury to Tanya Marie Whitford by driving at a dangerous speed, and causing bodily injury to Karen Bridget Freeman by driving carelessly. The driving which had led to the accident was out of character, said Mr Boyle, for Holland. It was a situation that arose out of the defendant’s inexperience and youth.

Because of the head injuries he suffered, Holland had no real recollection of the events which led to the fatal accident.

The fact that the frontseat passenger was not, according to the police, wearing a seat belt might have been a contributing factor to his death.

Mr Boyle asked that the matter be dealt with by way of a substantial fine.

Holland, a first offender, admitted the offences which occurred on the morning of October 26.

According to the police prosecutor the car, driven by Holland, had been modified for competitive purposes. On the drive from Birdlings Flat the vehicle travelled at speeds of up to 160 km/h. After getting into roadside shingle Hol-

land braked. This caused the car to. skid for 35 metres before becoming airborne for a further 11 metres. The vehicle crashed into the bank of a ditch.

Mr Kerr suffered injuries from which he died. Ms Whitford suffered multiple facial injuries and was in hospital for six weeks. As a result of her injuries, Ms Freeman had been unable to resume her job as a shorthandtypist. Besides community service, Holland was disqualified from holding dr obtaining a driver’s licence for two years.

PERIODIC DETENTION Three men " convicted

earlier of stealing 16 rolls of galvanised chain-link netting, valued at $2492, from their employer were each sentenced to periodic detention for four months.

Gregory Daniel Browne, aged 26, a truck driver (Mr A. James), David John Spencer, aged 29, unemployed (Mr T. M Fournier), and lan Bruce Sinclair, aged 21, a process worker (Mr W. Rosenberg), had admitted the offence.

The netting, the property of Hurricane Wire Products, was recovered. The defendants told the police that they had just wanted ,to “make some ■ extra money.”