A dangerously modified car, no seatbelts, cocaine and a desire to get to a nightclub before entry cut-off all contributed to Nick Campo’s death last July on the night of his 18th birthday party, a court has been told.
Those details and others were revealed in Perth Children’s Court on Monday as lawyers prepare for the young driver’s sentencing next month.
Nick Campo, 18, was a talented sportsman and played for the South Fremantle Football Club colts side.
The court heard the driver, who was 17 at the time of the incident and a P-plater, had been at Campo’s 18th birthday event in North Coogee when a group decided to head to a nightclub in Leederville.
Campo fatefully got into the rear passenger side of the offender’s Toyota Hilux – a vehicle that was registered to the driver’s dad’s business.
The front passenger seat had been removed from its usual position and swivelled 180 degrees to face backwards, but had not been properly bolted into the floor, the court was told.
The placing of the seat meant a seatbelt could not be used and the seat belt warnings and airbag sensors had been removed.
Campo died on his 18th birthday.
The car’s middle and rear left seatbelts were also unable to be reached and therefore utilised.
Nevertheless, Campo, the driver and three others got into the Hilux accepting a lift to Daisy’s, a late night bar. That lift turned deadly with the driver exceeding every single speed limit on each road he travelled on, at times reaching speeds of 133km/h in a 70km/h zone.
When questioned by police on the night of the crash as to why he was driving so fast, he said he was trying to make it to Daisy’s before the shut out time which he thought was midnight.
The court then heard how forensics experts analysed three iphones found in the car, one of which belonged to Campo, finding data and footage of the lead up to the out-of-control crash.
They also found that the car had the front stabiliser removed, which contributed to its inability to right itself after it swerved on a grass verge on Farrington Road and rolled, killing Campo and seriously injuring the other passengers.
Later toxicology results also revealed the driver had traces of benzodiazepines, cocaine and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
He also admitted to contravening one traffic light at high-speed and on Monday lawyers debated over whether he also contravened a second set of lights before the crash, ultimately the defence and prosecution agreeing to disagree on the matter.
Two other issues were also in contention - whether there were two or three seatbelts that were inaccessible and some of the speeds at which the driver was travelling.
Children’s Court President Hylton Quail said it would “not make a material difference” to the boy’s sentencing and decided there was no need for a trial of issues which would further delay the situation for the victims and the offender.
The boy pleaded guilty to the offence of manslaughter and multiple charges of grievous bodily harm last month. Last year he voluntarily revoked his bail “to demonstrate remorse”.
The teenager will be sentenced on May 5.