Adelaide lawyer Lauren Willgoose found guilty of killing Tony Walsh

A lawyer has been found guilty of killing a man in a late night car crash after drinking multiple wines at a pub.

A lawyer who drank multiple glasses of wine before getting into her car and hitting an elderly pedestrian has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Lauren Willgoose appeared shell-shocked when Judge Nicolas Alexandrides delivered his verdict at the Adelaide District Court on Thursday, breathing heavily in the dock and at times rocking her head back and forth.

Willgoose struck and killed 70-year-old Tony Walsh as he was crossing Goodwood Rd in inner-city Adelaide on the night of June 30, 2021.

She then left the scene of the crash.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges of aggravated cause death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident, but Judge Alexandrides found her guilty on both counts.

“The circumstances of aggravation alleged were that when she committed the offence, there was presence in her blood a concentration of alcohol of 0.08g or more of alcohol in 100ml of blood,” he said.

Lauren Willgoose was granted bail to spend Christmas with her young son. She will reappear at court in February next year for sentencing submissions. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“I have found that the prosecution have proven both charges to the requisite standard and accordingly I find the defendant guilty of both charges.”

Mr Walsh’s friends and family, sitting in the court, sighed with audible relief after the verdict.

Prosecutor Michael Foundas called for Willgoose’s bail to be revoked and for her to be taken into custody immediately, arguing a prison sentenced was now “inevitable”.

But Paul Rice, appearing for Willgoose, asked for bail to be continued at least up until sentencing submissions, which are expected in February next year.

“She’s not a flight risk,” he said.

“What is not necessarily known … is that she has a two-year old child.

“And she finds herself now, on Christmas Eve virtually, being separated from her son.

“But more importantly perhaps than those things, we do not concede, although obviously we have to read and digest your Honour’s reasons, we do not concede immediate jail is inevitable.

Tony Walsh was struck and killed and died at the age 70. Picture: Supplied

“And to that end, it is our submission that your Honour should order a home detention report.”

Mr Rice also said there was “a real question about the apportionment of blame” for the crash.

“Her driving has been a substantial cause of the death of Mr Walsh but that doesn’t mean, fairly obviously, that her driving was the only cause.”

Judge Alexandrides granted bail with conditions, including the immediate revocation of her driving license and the suspension of her passport.

Christine Walsh, the wife of Mr Walsh, was by his side when he was struck and killed.

“There are no winners out of this,” she said outside court after the verdict.

“I’ve lost somebody who I should have been celebrating 50 years of marriage, but unfortunately, I didn’t.”

“Really through somebody’s thoughtlessness and carelessness.”

The scene of the crash in Goodwood. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dean Martin

Christine Walsh speaks outside the District Court on Thursday after the verdict. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Ms Walsh said the case drilled home the dangers of drink driving.

“If people would just take notice, that if you drink and drive, then this is what happens, then there would be less of it, but they don’t,” she said.

Mr Walsh, a neuropsychologist, had been out to dinner with friends and his wife before the crash.

Sentencing submissions have been set for February 17, where the defence and prosecution will argue about what should be an appropriate punishment for Willgoose.

Ms Walsh said she felt a “sense of relief” on hearing the guilty verdict.

“I guess it’s a sense of relief that there is justice,” she said.

“But it’s also the impact on everybody that has had to experience this,” she said.

“Including her, I’m not a fiend, I understand that she has also had to experience this, however, she knowingly got in a car, having drunk a considerable amount of alcohol.”

Originally published as Adelaide lawyer Lauren Willgoose found guilty of killing Tony Walsh