Boyfriend of fatal ’bong’ driver jailed for 18 months over his crash
A MAN who left his best mate brain damaged after a fiery crash was high on cannabis and oxycodone — about a month after his ‘five bongs’ girlfriend killed a woman in a head-on.
Central Coast
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A MAN who left his best mate brain damaged and another friend seriously injured after crashing a “stuffed” car with bald tyres into a power pole was on a cocktail of cannabis and “hillbilly heroin”.
But worse than that, a court has heard Stuart Maxwell Reeves, of Umina Beach, knew his girlfriend Bianca Harrington was off her face on drugs when she crashed at North Gosford killing aged care nurse Kay Shaylor just weeks earlier.
Reeves faced a sentencing hearing at Gosford District Court last week where he admitted under cross examination to being Harrington’s boyfriend when she ploughed headfirst into Ms Shaylor’s car on September 3, 2016.
In response to a series of questions Reeves, now 22, said he knew Harrington had smoked drugs and it may have impaired her ability to drive, but he “made a decision” to drive anyway after smoking cannabis.
“It’s of some concern his girlfriend was involved in a similar accident and killed someone ... (and it) was not enough of an influence for him not to do it,” the Crown prosecutor told the court.
An agreed set of facts tendered to court revelled Reeves had been with his mates Zac Rowe and Luke Hampton when Mr Rowe purchased a blue Ford Falcon for $200.
Despite never having held a licence, Reeves drove them “to MacDonalds” and around Umina Beach during the day.
They were on their way to another friend’s house when Reeves turned right from Karloo Rd into Ryans Rd at 9.19pm on October 9, 2016.
Fifty metres down the road he lost control and ploughed into a power pole so hard it left an impression of the Falcon’s numberplate in the wood.
The car spun clockwise into two parked cars — which coincidently belonged to two of Reeves’ relatives — and burst into flames.
Reeves suffered a broken arm in the crash but was able to get out and help free Mr Rowe and Mr Hampton who were briefly trapped in the vehicle.
“Witnesses who rushed to the scene clearly remember Reeves apologising profusely to Rowe who he had helped pull from the wreckage,” the facts read.
Mr Rowe, who was in the front passenger seat, suffered critical head injuries and was left brain damaged to the point he could not write his own victim impact statement.
Before the crash Mr Hampton, then 29, was so concerned about Reeves’ manner of driving he told him to “slow down” and “stop being silly”.
Mr Hampton suffered multiple fractures to his ribs and sternum.
Reeves initially lied about being the driver, telling police he was in the back seat, but later admitted to smoking cannabis on the day of the crash and that the car was not mechanically sound.
A blood test revealed he had levels of cannabis and oxycodone in his system which, an expert said, would have impaired his driving.
He was sentenced to three years jail on Friday with a non-parole period of 18 months for causing bodily harm by misconduct, driving despite never holding a licence and dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm while under the influence of drugs.
Reeves told the court he had been bashed in jail since he was arrested and charged last November and that he was “angry at myself”.
“I’ve learned my lesson, I don’t want to go back to jail,” he said.
With time already served Reeves will be eligible for release on May 1.
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Harrington meanwhile, was committed for sentence in Gosford Local Court last week after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
She told police she had smoked “five bongs” leading up to the crash and could not remember where she had been all night.
A more serious charge of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death was withdrawn and dismissed while negligent driving and drive while suspended charges were listed for consideration during sentencing on November 24.
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