Terry Christopher Donovan found not guilty of causing the death of Helen Minerds by dangerous driving

A father of three accused of driving dangerously before he hit and killed a beloved grandmother has learnt his fate in court.

Terry Donovan has been found not guilty of causing the death of Helen Minerds by dangerous driving. Picture Dean Martin

A northern suburbs father of three has been acquitted of causing the death of a beloved grandmother by dangerous driving, but admitted to driving without due care.

On Tuesday, the District Court found Terry Christopher Donovan, 61, not guilty of causing the death of Helen Minerds by dangerous driving after he drove through a red light and hit her as she crossed the road.

Judge Joana Fuller found Donovan had failed to notice the pedestrian lights – on St Vincent St in Port Adelaide – change to red when he drove through a crossing and hit Ms Minerds in July 2021.

Ms Minerds suffered a traumatic head injury after the incident, and died in hospital the following day.

In body camera footage captured by the first officer on scene, Donovan told police he didn’t see Ms Minerds until the last minute.

“She wasn’t there one minute but the next she was,” he said.

7NEWS has obtained police bodycam of a driver minutes after he ran a red light and fatally struck an elderly pedestrian at Port Adelaide. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | https://t.co/8ftPfGh39Y#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/mivl3PsIBt

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) November 7, 2023

Judge Fuller said she was satisfied that Donovan’s “lookout was defective,” and found he “did not notice the pedestrian lights change from green to amber and then red at any time during the period of five seconds over which this occurred.”

“Had he been exercising due care and attention he would have noticed, at some point, prior to reaching the crossing that the pedestrian lights had changed,” Judge Fuller said.

“The accused was not exceeding the speed limit, was not affected by alcohol or drugs and was not distracted by the use of a mobile phone or any other device.

“There were no other deficiencies in his manner of driving.”

She said Donovan’s manner of driving was “in the category of a common human failing”.

Terry Donovan was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. Picture: Dean Martin

“The prosecution has not proved beyond reasonable doubt that there was any aspect of the accused’s driving that subjected the public to some risk over and above that ordinarily associated with the driving of a motor vehicle, including driving by persons who may, on occasions, drive with less than due care and attention.”

Donovan pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of driving without due care – an admission that was not accepted as an alternative charge by prosecutors at the start of the trial.

He was silent as he left the courtroom.

Judge Fuller will hear submissions on sentencing for the due care charge later this year.