Alcoholic Charles John Torrens to be sentenced after killing woman, injuring another in horrific Casino drink driving smash

A Northern Rivers repeat drink driver crashed into two elderly pedestrians – leaving one with shocking fatal injuries. Now, his array of excuses for the crime have fallen flat in court.

Barker Street, Casino.

A Northern Rivers repeat drink driver who was more than three times the legal limit when he crashed into two elderly women – leaving one with fatal injuries – says he is a victim of alcoholic parents and PTSD.

Charles John Torrens, 58, appeared over videolink in prison greens before Judge John Pickering in Lismore District Court on Wednesday.

The Richmond Valley man pleaded guilty in April to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death with a prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA), causing bodily harm by misconduct while in charge of a motor vehicle, as well as shoplifting.

Barker Street in Casino.

Emergency services were called to Barker St, Casino after the two women were struck by a Toyota Camry sedan driven by Torrens about 11am on April 13 last year.

Police and NSW Ambulance paramedics performed CPR on Joan Harrison, 73, and she was flown to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition, suffering from life-threatening injuries.

Sadly, Ms Harrison died the following day.

Patricia Hogan, then 74, was treated by paramedics and taken to Lismore Base Hospital in a serious condition, the court was told.

Emergency services were called to Barker St at Casino, near Lismore. Picture: Tom Parrish

A victim impact statement was tendered to the court by Ms Hogan.

Torrens’s defence lawyer Mark Doyle told the court Torrens was a victim of alcoholic parents and suffered childhood sexual abuse, which left him an alcoholic with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“My client was suffering from PTSD at the time and self-medicated with alcohol and drugs,” he said.

Torrens believed cannabis use was the true cause of the “accident”, the court heard.

Judge Pickering said regardless the case was about dangerous driving and misconduct on the road, and Torrens deciding to get behind the wheel in the circumstances.

He acknowledged Torrens’s disadvantaged background, but said: “How do we deter people who’ve been drinking or on drugs from driving.”

Mr Doyle argued the court had to consider the background of the offending.

He said Torrens “is a person who was in a situation where he was not in a position to make good choices” and his client had been “lead by poor examples from day one”.

Charles John Torrens faced Lismore District Court. Picture: Cath Piltz/The Northern Star

Torrens had abstained from drugs and alcohol since the crash, while behind bars on remand, and spent his time alone, the court heard.

“I appreciate alcohol and drugs can sneak into custody, but it’s not a major achievement (to be sober),” Judge Pickering said.

“It’s a pretty bare minimum to be sitting in a cell not drinking or taking drugs.”

Mr Doyle conceded his client would need “a long time” to address poor behaviour, but he had never taken a life before due to offending.

In a psychiatric report submitted to the court, Torrens states he “didn’t mean for any of this stuff to happen”.

“I never meant to kill someone, I take full responsibility,” he said.

“I’m ashamed I was spending so much money on alcohol … I’ve been depressed ever since.”

Mr Doyle said his client was not a sophisticated man, but he was remorseful.

“He admits his driving was terrible – I recommend a longer than usual time for him to deal with his alcohol and drug issues,” he said.

Judge Pickering told the court Torrens had been on notice regarding drink driving issues “all his life”.

“He has a personal responsibility – and it doesn’t matter if he has a disadvantaged background, it doesn’t matter if he is Indigenous,” Mr Pickering told the court.

“An alcoholic is one thing – a driving alcoholic is another thing.”

Torrens was well over the limit when he crashed.

Crown prosecutor Melanie Franklin told the court there was “no evidence” of a PTSD diagnosis.

“His mental health conditions at the time should be disregarded … there is no evidence he was suffering mental health issues at the time,” she said.

Ms Franklin said it was clear alcohol and cannabis combined impacted driving and was a feature when it came to delayed reaction times, failing to spot pedestrians and ultimately not stopping in time.

She said Torrens has always had some form of “supervision” amid an extensive criminal history and that he also had a record of violent assaults.

Ms Franklin argued Torrens had little remorse and pointed to comments the tragic fatal smash was “an accident”.

She said CCTV footage showed Torrens’ driving and he carried out a “dangerous manoeuvre at pace”, causing him to hit the women.

Ms Franklin said Torrens “downplayed” distress and reactions at the scene – demonstrating a lack of taking responsibility.

“He gave every other reason other than his own intoxication to police,” she told the court.

Torrens is due to learn his fate during sentencing in the same court on August 16.

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