Cairns Court: Morris Ling manslaughter of Ailsa Satini sentence postponed

A speeding drink-driver who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a young Cairns rugby league talent, appeared in court for sentencing. How it played out

A man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter deliberately accelerated through a red light, smashing into another car before colliding with a power pole so hard the pole split in half, killing a 20-year-old woman, Cairns Supreme Court heard on Monday.

Morris Ling, 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm while adversely affected, and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Talented young rugby league player Ailsa ‘Rani’ Satini was pronounced dead 10 minutes after paramedics arrived at the horrific scene just after midnight on July 3 last year at the intersection of Enmore Rd and Reservoir Rd in Manoora.

The court heard she suffered extensive facial injuries and died of skull fractures and brain injuries.

Crown Prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court Mr Ling had a blood-alcohol level of .218.

Ailsa-rani Satini plays for City in the Cairns District Rugby League women's tackle series, held at Jones Park. Picture: Brendan Radke

“No one had asked him to drive – he accelerated, took off fast and dangerous and they told him to pull up and he refused,” Mr Crane said.

After a wedding celebration, Ms Satini was in the driver’s seat of the Mazda 3 but Mr Ling took the keys from her, told her he would drive, and she moved to the passenger seat.

Ms Satini’s partner and her two brothers Anthony and Isiah were in the back seat and protested vehemently.

“It was quite apparent he was trying to be the big man and show off or skylark in front of his cousins,” Mr Crane said.

Mr Ling cried copiously and held his head in his hands throughout the hearing.

He drove erratically and dangerously, crossing a traffic island, heading down Enmore St and driving at 100km/h in a 50km/h zone, Mr Crane said.

Ergon Energy crew conduct repairs on power lines following a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Enmore St and Reservoir Rd, Manoora with a sedan careering into a power pole, about 12am, July 3, 2021. Picture: Arun Singh Mann

The lights at Reservoir Rd were red and Mr Ling said to the others “should we go through it, do you trust me?” and all in the car screamed at him to slow down.

Justice James Henry remarked Mr Ling “made a deliberate choice to play chicken with other people’s lives”.

Registered nurse Kimberley Coates, 36, was driving home from her shift at Cairns Hospital and was halfway through the intersection when the Mazda slammed into the driver’s side of her car before careening into a power pole.

“The top of the car was vertical, it struck the power pole with such force it caused the power pole to splinter,” Mr Crane said.

The trio in the back suffered injuries with two crawling out of the back window and one trapped.

The engine and car battery were thrown some way from the Mazda.

Ms Coates was in intensive care for four days and needed bone grafts from her pelvis to repair her shattered knee.

She described in a victim impact statement how she continued to suffer pain and had PTSD.

She was unable to care for her two-year-old and her relationship with her fiance ended because of the strain, she said.

Family members of Ailsa 'Rani' Satini, who died in a horrific crash at Manoora on July 3 last year, gather outside Cairns Supreme Court after a three hour sentencing hearing for Morris Ling, 35, who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Ms Satini's uncle Jamie Satini (centre) read the victim impact statement on behalf of the family. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

Ms Satini’s uncle Jamie Satini read victim impact statements from several family members.

Ms Satini’s father Anthony said “most days I cannot get out of bed, I wait to see my baby daughter, I have a hole in my heart that cannot be healed”.

Her mother Tracy said “I have a sense of hopelessness and I miss my daughter’s beautiful, bubbly loveable sense of humour”.

“My life has been shattered into a million pieces,” she said in her statement.

Brother Anthony, who broke both legs in the crash, said his “whole life crashed” and Isiah said the accident played out in his mind daily, and he suffered blackouts.

Learning of Mr Ling’s criminal history, Justice Henry remarked there was a “spectacular failure” in him addressing alcohol issues.

“It was a game of Russian roulette,” he remarked.

Defence solicitor Phillip Bovey said his client had expressed genuine and heartfelt remorse.

He said a mitigating factor was that it was a short journey of up to 1km.

Justice Henry adjourned the hearing to August 16.

Originally published as Cairns Court: Morris Ling manslaughter of Ailsa Satini sentence postponed