Family of road crash victim Nicole Tucker tells killer teen hoon driver that he should have died, not her
THE angry family of road crash victim Nicole Tucker has told a teen hoon that he is nothing more than irresponsible scum — and that he should have died in the fiery impact, not her.
THE angry family of road crash victim Nicole Tucker has told a teen hoon that he is irresponsible scum — and that he should have died, not their beloved relative.
The boy, 15, sat huddled and visibly shaking in the dock as victim impact statements written by Mrs Tucker’s family were read out to the District Court on Tuesday.
Mrs Tucker’s husband Brett told the boy he had stolen his soulmate, robbed their children of their mother.
“You are still here and my beautiful wife is gone ... it’s wrong, it should be the other way around ... you are nothing but scum,” he said.
Her brother, Kent Thiele, said his sister was “the epitome of selflessness” while her killer had shown only callousness by fleeing the scene of the crash.
“You are responsible for this ... real justice would have meant your life was lost, not the life of my sister,” he said.
Kathryn Howard, who was seriously injured in the same crash, became emotional when the boy would not lift his head as she spoke.
“You can’t even look at me, for f--k’s sake ... f--k, he doesn’t care ... you have hurt me and the family of Nicole in ways I feel you are too emotionally inept to understand,” she said.
The boy, 15, admitted he was driving a stolen ute that killed Ms Tucker at the intersection of Main South Rd and the Southern Expressway, Bedford Park, on October 6 last year.
He drove, prior to the crash, at speeds between 160km/h and 212km/h, and was travelling at 188km/h just two seconds before impact.
Ms Tucker, who was headed north on Main South Rd at the time of the crash, died instantly — her car struck several others before bursting into flames.
Due to the incident, Ms Howard suffered severe neck injuries that have left her with ongoing pain and mobility issues, as well as horrific flashbacks of that night.
The boy pleaded guilty to causing Ms Tucker’s death by dangerous driving in just his second appearance before the court, less than a month after the incident.
His passenger, 17, also admitted wrongdoing and is currently serving a period of youth detention.
On Tuesday, Mr Tucker and Mr Thiele paid tribute to Mrs Tucker, saying she cared not only for her own children but served as a “second mum” for their friends, her nieces and nephews.
Mr Tucker said watching sport, or walking the couple’s beloved dogs, was especially painful without his Crows-supporting, tennis-obsessed wife by his side
He said their son and daughter had been robbed of sharing both important life moments and ordinary day-to-day events with their mother.
Mr Thiele said Mrs Tucker was “the very glue” that held their family together, and that her mother had “lost the will to live” since the crash.
Ms Howard said she knew the boy’s lawyers would put forward his “troubled childhood” as a reason for the court to show leniency in sentencing.
“You have had a troubled childhood and absent parents, but here you are causing that same impact on three other children,” she said.
“First, Nicole’s two children, who will never see their mother again, who never had the chance to say goodbye.
“Second, my son who cannot have his mother play games with him ... he has asked me not to have any more accidents because he missed the way mummy was before her back got sick.
“Life is full of choices ... you were not able to make smart ones, in any capacity.
“The psychological effects you have caused me are unforgivable, the physical effects will heal in time but are inexcusable.”
Phil Crowe, for the boy, asked the court to sentence him as a youth instead of as an adult.
He said his client had been in foster care since his first birthday and had suffered deprivation, abuse and dysfunction throughout his life.
However, he said there was hope for rehabilitation.
“In a phone call to his brother he said he ‘felt heaps bad for that poor lady’ and told his foster mother ‘I feel so bad for that family’,” he said.
Judge Joanne Tracey remanded the boy in custody for sentencing next month.