Sefo Pau was ‘speeding to kill himself’ but instead he caused the death of Scott Burrage

A driver, struggling to cope with the loss of his nephew in a traffic crash, killed a much-loved Mackay father of three while trying to end his own life, a court has heard.

Sefo Pau (right) was speeding to kill himself when he crashed in another car and caused the death of Mirani father Scott Burrage.

A driver had been “speeding to kill himself” when he ploughed into the side of another vehicle and tragically caused the death of beloved Mirani father of three Scott Burrage.

The night of March 20, 2021 Sefo Pau had been in “a dire state of mental health” when he drove 82kmh over the 100kmh speed limit and crashed into Mr Burrage’s vehicle, Mackay District Court heard.

Mr Burrage had been parked in a gravel driveway to the Mirani waste treatment plant.

Barrister Scott McLennan said a psychiatric report detailed Pau, 35, had suffered an “abnormal grief reaction” over the 2017 death of his nephew, who was killed in a traffic crash.

“He wasn’t speeding as part of some other criminal escapade, he was speeding to Eungella to kill himself,” Mr McLennan said, adding it was not the first time Pau had tried to take his own life since his nephew’s death.

Mirani father-of-three Scott Burrage was killed in a crash on Mackay-Eungella road. Picture: Kylie Burrage

The court heard the psychiatric report stated Pau had been in poor mental health for a number of since following his nephew’s death in November 2017.

“I cannot help but note the incredible irony that I see arising in relation to this matter,” Judge John Coker said.

“The very significant downturn in your own mental health and difficulties that you have experienced have been directly attributable … to the death of your own nephew as a result of a motor vehicle accident.

“To be frank I hope every day and I expect you do every day wonder at that dreadful, dreadful consequence and irony that arises from you behaving in the manner that you did which led to the death of Mr Burrage as a result of the death of your own nephew in exactly the same circumstances.”

Sefo Pau was jailed for eight years over the fatal crash that caused the death of Scott Barrage at Mirani.

Judge Coker noted Pau had done nothing to deal with his issues and until he did there would be a “continuing risk to the community because of a lack of appreciation by you of the consequences of your actions”.

“If perhaps appropriate steps had been taken earlier then the world would be a very different place for all involved,” Judge Coker said.

At the time of the crash Pau’s licence was SPER suspended.

Crown prosecutor Jessica Guy said Pau had been SPER suspended nine times in total and other entries on his traffic history included high and mid-range drink driving.

As well as dangerous driving causing death while excessively speeding, Pau pleaded guilty to driving while SPER suspended in an unregistered and uninsured vehicle not fitted with an interlock device that had stolen licence plates attached.

“The speed that was involved is staggering,” Judge Coker said.

The court heard the distance involved in the dangerous driving was just under 7.5km, which took someone travelling the speed limit about five minutes and 45 seconds – Pau did it two minutes and 50 seconds.

“Every one of us when you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle have charge of a deadly weapon and it must be operated with safety and with care,” Judge Coker said.

Pau’s father and a close friend were in court for support as he was jailed for eight years to serve at least one third before parole eligibility in January 2023.

Read the emotional victim impact statement from Mr Burrage’s widow here.

Originally published as Sefo Pau was ‘speeding to kill himself’ but instead he caused the death of Scott Burrage