Father John Varvaris sentenced for hitting elderly parishioner with car at San Souci

A devoted priest who drove an elderly parishioner to her husband’s grave – only for her to be struck with the car when the priest meant to drive in reverse – has been convicted for the accident.

Father John Varvaris, 85, failed to put his car in reverse, accelerated forward, hit a woman and caused life-changing injuries. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A devoted priest who drove an elderly parishioner to her husband’s grave only to be struck by his car when he meant to drive in reverse has been convicted for the accident.

Father John Varvaris, 85, had driven a woman home after they prayed together at her husband’s grave before she was hit, fell face forward onto a brick wall and sustained life-changing injuries.

The San Souci man was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Father Varvaris was driving the woman, who he had known through his church, to her late husband’s grave where he said prayers on September 24, 2022.

Varvaris then drove the 87-year-old woman back to her San Souci home where she got out of the car and walked a short distance away.

Father John Varvaris, 85, pleaded guilty to negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

He intended to reverse but did not put the car in reverse gear and instead accelerated forward.

The car propelled towards the woman who was standing to the left of the car when she was struck and fell face first into a knee-high brick fence.

Varvaris immediately helped the woman and called triple-0, with police and paramedics attending a short time later to treat the woman for a large gash to her face which caused a “degloving” of her facial skin.

She was taken to St George Hospital and Varvaris returned a negative blood alcohol result.

Investigations revealed there was no mechanical defect to the car, court documents said.

Police contacted the woman’s doctor who confirmed she needed long-term treatment for her injuries and required non-elective plastic surgery to help the healing process.

The woman sustained a brain bleed, facial laceration and broken teeth, injuries to her eye and an ankle and foot fracture.

The court heard the woman was unable to walk unassisted outside her home, required a walking aid and needed to attend fortnightly physiotherapy treatment.

Father Varvaris was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

The court heard Varvaris’ children had also instigated for their father to have a restriction placed on his licence to not travel more than 15km per day at the time, because of the hours he was serving the community and not taking a rest breaks.

The court heard Varvaris had no criminal history and had devoted his life in a “selfless and unwavering way” to the Greek community and Christianity for more than 50 years, having received accolades and honours.

In a parliamentary speech, Premier and Kogarah MP Chris Minns spoke about Varvaris’ “extraordinary life and work” in 2021.

The court heard Varvaris had his licence cancelled on medical grounds in December 2022 and over the course of his 58 years driving only had 16 minor traffic offences.

Magistrate Philip Stewart accepted Varvaris was remorseful, led a life of otherwise unblemished religious devotion and was unlikely to reoffend because he no longer held a licence.

He said the woman suffered significant and ongoing harm.

“Father Varvaris obviously intended to put the vehicle into reverse. It is clear that he did not check that the vehicle was in reverse before pressing the accelerator and moving the car forward striking [the woman],” Mr Stewart said.

“In the circumstances, whilst there is no intention whatsoever to cause harm,. there is a degree of negligence firstly by failure to check which gear the vehicle was in, and secondly by accelerating without having checked the direction the vehicle would travel in.

“I am satisfied that Father Varvaris failed to maintain proper attention to the task of driving the vehicle in a safe manner and that his negligence at the relevant time fell far short of what ought to be expected of a reasonable and prudent driver.”

Mr Stewart said a conviction was required with no further penalty imposed and he was disqualified from driving for three years.

Originally published as Father John Varvaris sentenced for hitting elderly parishioner with car at San Souci