Matt Dunlea pleads guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm in Cairns District Court

A Cairns man ran a red light, hit a Year 12 student causing serious injuries and fled the scene, a court has heard.

A student continues to suffer after being hit by a car that drove through a red light. Picture: Supplied

A man who ran a red light, hit a Year 12 student at a Cairns school and fled the scene wrote a “shallow and tokenistic” letter of apology to the boy, a court has heard.

Matt Dunlea, 30, pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm and possessing dangerous drugs in Cairns District Court on Monday.

Judge Joshua Trevino said the crash had serious impacts on the student.

“(He continues to suffer) pain and loss of mobility; he is worried he may not be the same physically again, he had to stop playing sport, and suffered psychologically with PTSD and anxiety,” he said.

“Your letter does not demonstrate much insight into the effect your offending has had on the complainant …. You don’t even address him by name, it is a tokenistic and shallow gesture in my view.”

The letter was dated October 23, 2023 – the same day as Dunlea’s sentencing.

Cairns District Court heard Matt Dunlea, 30, ran a red light and struck a Year 12 student who was walking across the pedestrian crossing when that light went green.

Prosecutor Tim Watkins said on March 26, 2021, Dunlea was seen to be tailgating, driving aggressively and weaving in his lane.

The light at the intersection turned red, and the green pedestrian light was on when the youth began to cross, he said.

But Dunlea drove through the red light and hit the Year 12 student, who tried to jump away from the Toyota HiLux, Mr Watkins said.

Dunlea continued driving and went into a house nearby but a passer-by pursued him, knocked on the door until he answered and insisted that he return to the scene.

Mr Watkins said the car had multiple faults including bald tyres which demonstrated Dunlea’s attitude to driving.

He said the student considered repeating Year 12 because he had time off school and multiple surgeries for leg and collarbone injuries.

Defence barrister Rachelle Logan said Dunlea had episodes of self harm in pre-sentence custody and was now in a secure unit.

“Did he take the trouble to know who the complainant’s name was before he wrote the letter?” Mr Trevino asked.

“It’s just so brief, it doesn’t really show any insight into the trauma and suffering he caused the complainant.”

Ms Logan said he returned to the scene and complied with police and was intending to return but felt panicked and scared.

“He returned only in circumstances where another motorist followed him home and knocked on the door and requested he return,” Judge Trevino said.

“A serious aggravating feature is that you did not stop, you had callous disregard for a young boy prone on the road, you kept driving.

“You must have been aware schoolchildren would be using that intersection at that time of day.

“This was a hit and run committed on a school-aged child and a message needs to be sent there will be consequences,” Judge Trevino said.

He sentenced Dunlea to two-and-a-half years prison, with 78 days in custody declared as time served, and a parole release date of June 6, 2024.

Dunlea was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Originally published as Matt Dunlea pleads guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm in Cairns District Court