Tyrell Edwards refused bail, court told of his ‘history of speeding’
Police will allege a witness overheard accused Buxton crash driver Tyrell Edwards saying ‘I f--ked up, I’m going to jail’ in the moments after he walked away from the crash that claimed the lives of five teenagers.
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A teenage driver who killed five mates in a horrific car crash at Buxton on Tuesday night was overheard saying “I f—ked up, I’m going to jail” moments after he walked away from the scene unscathed, a court has heard.
Tyrell Edwards was refused bail in Picton Local Court on Thursday after it was revealed the 18-year-old had a history of speeding and had lost his P-2 licence twice in the space of 18 months.
Magistrate Mark Douglass said he had no confidence Edwards would obey the law if released from custody.
“He was suspended for two three-month periods in less than 18 months,” he said.
“That was not enough, according to police, to stop what is a very serious course of dangerous driving if proven.”
Documents tendered to the court and released publicly following an application by The Daily Telegraph said Edwards was driving his Nissan Navara north along East Parade, allegedly “at high speeds”.
The vehicle contained five passengers - Lily Van De Putte, Antonio Desisto, Tyrese Bechard, Summer Williams and one other - although the court heard Edwards would later tell police he knew of only four people in the car and “did not know where or how the fifth occupant came to be in his vehicle”.
The court heard the vehicle allegedly spun out of control, travelling close to 60 metres before hitting two large trees on the shoulder of the narrow, straight roadway.
The court heard the impact of the crash tore open the rear cabin and caused the rear seat to be ejected from the vehicle.
“Four passengers were ejected from the rear of the vehicle and located a short distance away, trapped by confinement,” police allege in court documents.
Nearby residents rushed to the wreckage and contacted emergency services, however none of the five teens could be saved and all died at the scene.
Edwards was able to remove himself from the vehicle. Police will allege a witness overheard Edwards saying “I f—ked up, I’m going to jail”.
He was taken to Liverpool Hospital to be treated for head and back pain before being allowed to return home.
However, the court heard Crash Investigation Unit officers attended Edwards’ Bargo home on Wednesday afternoon and arrested him.
He was taken to Narellan Police Station and charged with five counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.
During an interview with police, Edwards allegedly said he had experienced a steering fault, which he described as a “shaking, going left to right”.
He allegedly told police he couldn’t control the vehicle and when he attempted to brake, the car “did not significantly slow”.
He also allegedly said he knew of four passengers in the car, but was unable to say how or when a fifth passenger came to be in his vehicle.
However, police will allege video footage shot by Edwards on his phone an hour before the crash shows him driving erratically and swerving over the road.
The court heard the footage allegedly shows Edwards holding his mobile phone in one hand while videoing himself “purposefully and aggressively turning the steering wheel from left to right with his hand”.
The court heard loud music can also be heard playing in the background as the vehicle allegedly swerves violently on the roadway, while travelling at 90km/hr, police claim.
One of the passengers can also be heard saying “we’re going to spin out cuz” while laughing.
Police opposed Edwards’ bail application in court on Thursday, saying the case against him was strong and he posed an unacceptable risk to the community if released from custody.
Defence lawyer Karen Watson said Edwards came from a loving extended family who were in court to support him.
She said he worked as a labourer after completing Year 11 at Picton High School but suffered from anxiety and would be vulnerable if remanded in custody.
“He needs psychological treatment,” she said, telling the court Edwards had been left “significantly traumatised” by what had happened.
However, Magistrate Douglass refused to release Edwards based on his poor history of obeying the law.
“Given the egregious breach of trust, given the blatant breach of road rules that police allege occurred, this court has no confidence that this particular person would comply, given the history I’ve explained, with any bail conditions set at this particular point in time,” he said.
The case was adjourned to November 16 for further mention.
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