Judgment day: Tim Watkins’ killer, Stuart Charles Newman, sentenced to jail

A driver who killed a popular Mullumbimby 22-year-old in a hit-and-run, and then travelled to his mother’s property and had his damaged van repaired and spray-painted, has been jailed.

Stuart Charles Newman (inset) was sentenced to jail time over the fatal hit and run which killed 22yo Tim Watkins.

Family and friends of 22-year-old Tim Watkins have found some long-awaited justice in the sentencing of the man who tragically struck the Mullumbimby footballer with a van and left him for dead.

The matter was up for judgment at the Sydney Downing Court on Thursday afternoon, where it was heard Stuart Charles Newman will face two years and eight months jail time for the crime.

The 52-year-old had already pleaded guilty to negligent driving occasioning death and failing to stop in May 27.

Tim Watkins was tragically taken during the hit and run incident in 2019.

According to court documents Newman was driving along Wilsons Creek Rd, Wilsons Creek, when he fatally struck Tim Watkins in the early hours of June 23, 2019.

After striking Tim with his Mitsubishi Delica vehicle, Newman fled without calling for help.

Tim died at the scene from traumatic injuries, having been struck with such force his body was found 47m from the initial impact.

Previous court hearings revealed Tim’s mother couldn’t even grocery shop in Mullumbimby because of the fear she might know the person who killed her son.

While friends and family of Tim found their lives irrevocably broken, Newman had travelled from Wilsons Creek to his mother’s Bellingen property after the incident, repaired his damaged van and had it spray-painted.

After about 58 days, Newman identified himself to police as the driver who took away Tim’s life.

Friends and family comfort each other during the memorial service for the popular Mullumbimby Moonshiners Rugby Club player.

In a Facebook statement on Tim’s tribute page, Tim’s mum Wajan Watkins wrote her mixed feelings on the sentencing.

“No sentence will be long enough. But this is better than him walking out behind us,” she said.

Judge Dina Yehia convicted Newman to an aggregated two years and eight months in jail, taking into account he’d already been in custody since December 22, 2020.

He will be eligible for parole on May 21, 2022.

The court also disqualified Newman from holding a driver’s/rider’s licence for three years, from June 17.