Lake Munmorah: Michael James Wells appeals jail sentence for killing Yasemin Osman
A “maniac” who was showing off his high performance WRX to a mate when he fatally ploughed into a young mum on the Central Coast has appealed his sentence. Here’s what happened.
Central Coast
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A driver who killed a young mum as she was turning a corner just minutes from home is eligible to get his licence back after appealing the severity of his sentence.
But the reduction in his disqualification period is largely academic given he remains behind bars after the Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed the bulk of his appeal.
Michael James Patrick Wells, 36, of Lake Munmorah, was sentenced in Sydney District Court on July 15, 2022, to five years and six months jail with a non-parole period of three years and six months.
He was also disqualified from driving for three years following the fatal crash on October 16, 2020 at Lake Munmorah.
Wells pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning the death of Yasemin Osman, 29 and causing bodily harm by wanton driving to his own passenger Christopher Davies.
The father-of-two appealed the severity of his sentence in September last year.
On Wednesday the CCA delivered its Judgement, in which the appellant Justices quashed the disqualification period but upheld the jail term.
The court ordered Wells to be instead disqualified from driving for a total of one year and 92 days commencing from October 18, 2020.
It comes after emergency services were called to the intersection of the Pacific Highway and Colongra Bay Rd shortly after 8pm on October 16, 2020, following reports of a two-car collision.
An agreed set of facts states Wells had picked up Mr Davies earlier and was showing him his WRX Impreza, bearing the number plates “5HMICK”, because his work colleague was interested in buying a Subaru.
The pair were returning along the Pacific Highway when Wells flicked the car into sport mode and told Mr Davies “we’ll go fast”.
An analysis of the Subaru’s crash data retrieval system showed it was travelling 138km/h just before Wells saw Ms Osman’s Landcruiser turning right into Colongra Bay Rd and he slammed on the brakes.
But it was too late and he slammed into Ms Osman so hard the force of the collision shunted the 4WD into a power pole 8m away, killing the 29-year-old mum instantly.
Wells’ passenger also suffered a bleeding nose and bruising.
Ms Osman’s father Osman Osman read a victim impact statement at Wells’ sentencing in which he said his eldest daughter was on her way home from buying nappies just up the road.
“Little did she know a maniac like you Michael Wells would be on the road driving nearly 60km/h over the limit,” Mr Osman told the court.
“How can you live with yourself?”
Wells will be eligible for release on January 14, 2026.
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