James Kevin Cook sentenced for manslaughter in Coffs Harbour court
Armed with a loaded pistol, a South Grafton drug dealer who rammed the car of two bikies and caused their deaths in a fiery crash off the Pacific Highway has been jailed.
Coffs Harbour
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Armed with a loaded pistol, a South Grafton drug dealer who rammed the car of two bikies and caused their deaths in a fiery crash off the Pacific Highway has been jailed.
James Kevin Cook was sentenced in Coffs Harbour District court on Friday (May 13).
He has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment and will be first eligible for parole on October 31, 2028.
Cook had pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter over the December 2018 horror smash which killed Nomads gang member Daniel Elliot and associate Jared Ward – as well as a raft of other charges involving drug supply, firearms possession and break and enter.
When the matter came before the court in April last year the prosecution told Judge Jonathan Priestley it was a complex case with Cook facing several charges in relation to the crash at Halfway Creek
“There’s drugs, firearms, manslaughter and break and enter,” they said.
On the night of December 9, 2018, Cook was involved in a heated argument with the victims before the vehicles – Cook’s Holden Commodore and the victims’ Mitsubishi Lancer – were seen speeding on the Pacific Highway north of Coffs Harbour.
Police said CCTV, dashcam and witness accounts revealed the vehicles were driving erratically, travelling north before turning back south.
Court documents reveal Cook was in possession of a loaded pistol which he used alongside his vehicle to force the Mitsubishi Lancer off the road.
The Mitsubishi Lancer crashed through a fence before rolling several times and catching on fire – killing 42-year-old Grafton man Daniel Elliot and 29-year-old Tucabia man Jared Ward at the scene.
A third passenger, a 39-year-old woman, was flown to the Gold Coast and was left with lifelong injuries.
Cook had left the scene without contacting emergency services.
Detectives established Strike Force Kiowa and arrested Cook in July 2019, charging him with two counts of murder. These were withdrawn and dismissed when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Strike Force Kiowa detectives laid further charges on Cook in August 2019 after their investigations uncovered a major drug supply ring in the Grafton region.
Police had raided four homes between Grafton and Halfway Creek where they seized meth, cannabis, cash and weapons. Five people were arrested and Cook was subsequently charged with drug supply.
Cook, who had been remanded in custody since his arrest, pleaded guilty to several charges including two charges of manslaughter; reckless grievous bodily harm; possessing a loaded firearm public place; supplying a prohibited drug; possess shortened firearm; and aggravated break and enter.
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