Taylor Drew Laikve, 31, faces District Court for sentencing submissions after near-fatal Yorke Peninsula crash
A young woman was seriously injured when her friend unknowingly dragged her along a road with his car while four times the limit, a court has heard.
A young woman was forced to have her cancer treatment delayed after she was dragged by a car along a Yorke Peninsula road by a drunk, diabetic friend in the midst of a blood-sugar crisis.
Taylor Drew Laikve, 31, appeared in the District Court last week charged over the near-fatal Parham crash in March, which inflicted “life-changing” injuries on 24-year-old Jade Billett.
Ms Billett, Judge Emily Telfer heard, sustained significant fractures and spent months in hospital following the crash – which occurred after Laikve, of Birdwood, “mismanaged” his diabetes condition and subsequently suffered a medical episode while drunk.
“While it’s not suggested that the defendant intended to cause the injuries he did, the dangerousness is the decision to drive while grossly intoxicated, and knowing there were people in such close proximity to the vehicle,” prosecution submitted.
“She (Ms Billett) was holding on to the car as it began to reverse. She then fell off and recalls losing her grip. The car then dragged her from the shed to the road. She did not feel anything at all until it stopped.
“She yelled out to the defendant to stop – she was within a metre of him while she was yelling that. In those circumstances, it’s open to Your Honour to find the defendant knew what he was doing … he should have known – when she was no longer holding on to the vehicle – that she had been struck.”
In May, Laikve pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving, aggravated cause harm by dangerous driving, and leaving the scene of an accident after causing harm.
The offences were aggravated, court documents alleged, because he had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.212.
Also injured in the crash, the court heard, was Jayden Kenyon – who required stitches to the back of his leg.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Billett said she recalled “waking up in agony”, and “couldn’t move for weeks”.
As a result of her months-long stay in hospital, Ms Billet also missed multiple bowel cancer appointments, the court heard.
Laikve was so “grossly intoxicated” and medically impaired, defence counsel Jane Abbey KC submitted, that he didn’t even realise he had “aggressively” reversed into Ms Billett.
“For Mr Laikve on that night, it meant he had not – as he should have done – managed the condition, given he was drinking alcohol,” Ms Abbey said.
“He is incredibly remorseful, shameful and will not ever forget the damage he has done to Ms Billett. He considered her his friend.”
“I ask Your Honour to find – or accept – that never again will he leave his blood-sugar in charge.”
Laikve will return to court in January for sentencing.
