Callum Thorne makes first appearance court charged over double-fatal Nangwarry crash near Mount Gambier
The young man charged over a horrific crash in the state’s South-East that killed two children has been bailed after a court heard his phone had gone missing.
Police & Courts
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The man charged over a fatal crash that claimed the lives of two children from the same family has been released in a bizarre court appearance.
Callum Thorne, 22, was granted bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday after allegations were aired that evidence was being concealed.
The Mount Gambier man was arrested and charged by Major Crash Investigation Section officers on Tuesday after the devastating three-car collision on the Riddoch Highway, about 5kms south of Nangwarry, near Mount Gambier.
The crash claimed the lives of two children from one family.
He has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing harm by dangerous driving.
A prosecutor told the court they were opposed to bail as Mr Thorne’s phone had not yet been recovered and data showed it travelled south after the accident before it was turned off.
The court heard the phone was not found at Mr Thorne’s home during a search so police requested his phone account details.
“Police have used those details to access the phone this morning and it has pinged at the home address once again,” the prosecutor said.
“I don’t accept that the defendant and his family are unaware of where the phone is – I am suspicious of some perversion.”
Nick Healy, for Mr Thorne, told the court police allege his client told a female at the scene after the crash that he was tired and had been on his phone.
“He vehemently denies that he said that,” he said.
Mr Healy told the court that the phone pinging from Mr Thorne’s home was “a furphy” and he thinks there is a “completely innocent” explanation where it is.
“My client is adamant and indeed his family are, that they have absolutely no knowledge of where that phone is,” he said. “They want that phone.”
Mr Healy said when police searched Mr Thorne’s family home they found search terms on his brother’s iPad for “dark bags”.
“The search on Jack’s iPad, not my client’s iPad had absolutely nothing to do with concealing or attempting to conceal a mobile phone,” Mr Healy said.
Mr Healy said Mr Thorne’s brother had searched for ‘dark bags’ days earlier after watching the television show Wranglerstar, which said they could be used to stop an electric wave from a Starlink WiFi router.
Mr Healy told the court Mr Thorne had lived in Mount Gambier his whole life and his family were very well respected in the community.
The court heard Mr Thorne had no criminal history and had two weeks left before he finishes his diesel mechanic apprenticeship.
“Obviously he’s struggling … this would have been an enormous tragedy,” he said.
Magistrate Ben Sale said while he was troubled by the allegations of interference he noted that whatever interference may have occurred happened while Mr Thorne was in custody and there was no suggestion he was directing those efforts.
He also noted Mr Thorne’s youth and lack of criminal history and granted him bail to report at a police station weekly.
Friends and family of Mr Thorne gathered at the Mount Gambier court house to watch the appearance, holding hands tightly and crying as he was granted bail.
They declined to speak to media as they left the court house.
Police have previously said that on Sunday around 2.40pm, a woman driving a black Holden sedan collided with an emu on the highway. She was not injured in the crash.
A grey Toyota station wagon driven by the Eykelenburg family from Mount Gambier braked to avoid a collision with the Holden sedan.
However, just seconds later, a white Nissan ute, allegedly driven by Thorne crashed in the back of the Toyota.
The Eykelenburg’s five-year-old son Isaac, who was a passenger in the Toyota, tragically died at the scene.
His 15-year-old sister suffered critical injuries and had been fighting for her life at the Royal Adelaide Hospital before she succumbed to her injuries on Monday night.
Their father, Chris, 42, mum Paula, 46, and 13-year-old sister and six-year-old brother were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Flowers have been placed in tribute at Grant High School, where the girl was a student.
A fundraiser for the family has so far raised more than $78,000.
The charges were adjourned until May.
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