Mitchell Ryan Laidlaw: Man responsible for Sue Salthouse death pleads guilty to new charges

The man responsible for the death of disability advocate Sue Salthouse has pleaded guilty to new driving charges committed on bail. Find out what happened in court.

The driver responsible for the death of 2020 ACT Senior Australian of the year Sue Salthouse has pleaded guilty to a raft of new driving offences committed while on bail.

Ms Salthouse died in July 2020 after Mitchell Ryan Laidlaw crashed into her wheelchair accessible motorcycle on the Commonwealth Ave bridge.

Laidlaw previously pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and is awaiting sentencing in the ACT Supreme Court.

On Friday he was formally charged with five new driving offences.

Appearing at the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday he pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while suspended, drug driving, driving unregistered and using a number plate not properly.

These offences relate to two separate incidents on June 23 and July 9.

After pleading guilty to all five charges Laidlaw’s lawyer explained to Magistrate Louise Taylor his client will be sentenced for culpable driving causing death later this month and argued that a lengthy good behaviour order would be appropriate.

The lawyer told the court Laidlaw previously lived a law-abiding life for many years despite using methamphetamine as a teenager.

2020 ACT Senior Australian of the Year Sue Salthouse died following a crash in July 2020 caused by Mitchell Laidlaw.

He said his client began to use methamphetamine again to deal with life stressors leading up to the 2020 crash.

He said following being charged over Ms Salthouse’s death Laidlaw fell on hard times, losing his employment and subsequently being evicted.

The prosecution outlined previous offending in NSW including a drug driving charge dating to 2014, and withdrawn charges of driving while disqualified in 2008 and driving while suspended in 2010.

In sentencing Magistrate Taylor said early guilty pleas for the new charge displayed Laidlaw had remorse and contrition for his actions.

But she also noted the defendant was well and truly “on notice” about the dangers of drug driving.

For his offending Magistrate Taylor sentenced him to 10 days jail, and a 12 month good behaviour order.

He has been fined a total of $1035 with 12 months to pay and his licence has been suspended for one month.

Laidlaw remains in custody awaiting sentencing in the ACT Supreme Court.