Police had opportunity to arrest dangerous driver ahead of crash which killed toddler
POLICE had the opportunity to arrest an ice user — who had a history of driving like a maniac to escape arrest — hours before they engaged the man in a high-risk chase which killed toddler Tateolena Tauaifaga as she played in her backyard.
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POLICE could have arrested an ice user — who had a history of driving like a maniac to escape arrest — hours before they engaged the man in a high-risk chase which killed a toddler playing in her backyard.
The police operation which led up to the death of Tateolena Tauaifaga, aged 17 months, can be revealed for the first time after a Supreme Court suppression order over the case has been lifted.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal hours before Tateolena was run over in her backyard at Constitution Hill, in Sydney’s West on January 8, 2015 by Christopher Chandler, police had the opportunity to arrest him on an outstanding warrant at a shopping centre.
But instead of arresting Chandler at a Wentworthville shopping centre, police chose to put a GPS tracking device on his stolen Audi and, hours later, cornered the vehicle in dead end street Bessbrook Way, where many young families lived.
It was there Chandler did the unthinkable, driving his car through a fence into a backyard killing Tateolena who was playing with her big sisters, before smashing through another fence into a public park crowded with more children.
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Details of the case can be revealed for the first time after Chandler pleaded guilty this week to unrelated robbery charges in the NSW District Court.
Chandler was jailed in December last year to 19 years with 13 years non-parole for the manslaughter of Tateolena but the case was suppressed until the resolution of the armed robbery charges.
Court facts reveal Chandler had previously been arrested for dangerous driving and two police pursuits — one of which involved him smashing through a fence into a reserve in his desperation to escape.
Tateolena’s father, Topaz Hunia, has questioned why police did not anticipate the danger of cornering Chandler in the quiet street filled with families.
“Why didn’t they think it could be dangerous?” he said.
Meanwhile Tateolena’s mother Hellina Tauaifaga told the NSW Supreme Court during Chandler’s sentencing hearing: “I strongly believe this could have been prevented.”
On January 8, after Chandler drove through the backyard killing Tateolena, he smashed through another fence into Richill Park forcing adults and children to run for their lives.
He then took police on a seven minute pursuit captured on dashcam footage which sentencing Supreme Court Justice Peter Johnson described as “terrifying”.
“The offender was effectively hellbent on his own escape,” Justice Johnson said.
The footage shows Chandler driving on the Cumberland Hwy and north west down Old Windsor Rd at up to 140km/h, repeatedly driving on the wrong side of the road forcing other motorists to swerve out of the way.
Chandler drove through multiple red lights as he headed towards Baulkham Hills, where he tore through numerous suburban streets and at one point drove off-road between properties to try to evade police.
Police finally gave up the pursuit on Seven Hills Rd at Baulkham Hills.
The court heard his then-girlfriend Kate Tuite, who was in the car, later told police she screamed through the entire pursuit but Chandler said at no point could he remember her telling him to stop.
Chandler dumped the car at Darlinghurst and was arrested on the Central Coast six days later.
The court heard an expert report concluded it was the Audi driven by Chandler which killed Tateolena and not the two police 4WDs which followed the stolen car into the backyard.
Ms Tauaifaga said Tateolena and her three sisters were playing “in one of the safest places a child could be playing in”.
“There is no day when I don’t wish to turn back the hands of time to prevent her death or trade places,” she said.
A coronial inquest is being prepared to investigate the circumstances which led up to Tateolena’s death.