Decision pending for Tasmania police constable accused of negligent driving

A Hobart magistrate accepted late evidence submission of police body-worn cameras as he nears handing down a decision. Here’s when that will happen.

Tasmania Police constable Cassandra Joy Richardson, 26, has been charged with negligently causing the roads deaths of mother and son, Teresa and Jim Brown, at Penna on May 10, 2022. Picture: Amber Wilson

A Hobart magistrate will hand down his decision on Friday in the case of the police constable charged over the road deaths of a mother and son in 2022 after accepting late evidence submissions of police body-worn cameras.

Cassandra Joy Richardson, 26, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by negligent driving after a Richmond crash that claimed the lives of Teresa and Jim Brown on May 10 in 2022.

Ms Richardson, off-duty at the time of the crash, also pleaded not guilty to one count each of driving without due care and attention, driving while disqualified and contravening vehicle standards.

She appeared before Magistrate Andrew McKee in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Wednesday, accompanied by family and friends.

The scene of a double fatal car crash on Brinktop Rd between Sorell and Richmond, Tasmania. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

A decision was scheduled for Wednesday last week, when evidence was submitted by the prosecution to be included in deliberations.

This includes body-worn camera footage from two police officers at the scene of the Richmond crash.

In the footage, the prosecution reported Ms Richardson as saying “I must have dozed off a bit” and on another clip as saying “I think I just overcorrected”.

Mr McKee stated he couldn’t make out the words in the recordings and wasn’t satisfied what the prosecutor presented was correct.

Defence for Ms Richardson argued that the statements were at odds and were recorded when she was in an “emotional state”.

“What needs to be kept in mind is that whatever words were said were uttered by someone in a clearly distressed state of mind,” the defence said.

“In one body-worn camera, Ms Richardson is recorded as saying ‘I must have drifted off’ – a conclusion, not a finding and followed up by saying in another clip she overcorrected.”

Magistrate McKee will consider the body-worn camera footage as part of the evidence before delivering his decision on the case Friday, August 30 at 9am.

Originally published as Decision pending for Tasmania police constable accused of negligent driving