Lisa Maria Curtale to be sentenced over hit and run death of Adam Beattie in San Remo
Lisa Maria Curtale has finally pleaded guilty over the death of popular father-of-three Adam Beattie. How his body was found will break your heart.
Central Coast
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A woman who fatally ploughed into a man as he walked beside Scenic Drive at San Remo later told police she thought she hit “an animal” and did not stop because it was dark and she was “scared”, a court has heard.
Lisa Maria Curtale, of Budgewoi, pleaded guilty to failing to stop and assist following a fatal collision and negligent driving occasioning death at Wyong Local Court on Tuesday.
It comes after a more serious charge of dangerous driving occasioning death was withdrawn and dismissed.
The 44-year-old covered her head with a scarf in the back of the court as her solicitor Greg Schumer, of Ross Hill & Associates, formally entered pleas on her behalf.
A set of agreed facts tendered in court reveals for the first time the tragic circumstances which culminated in the death of beloved father-of-three Adam Beattie.
The 41-year-old and his partner of 20 years Zoe Breakwell had gone to the Doyalson RSL about 6.30pm on July 28 last year to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
About 10.50pm Mr Beattie and Ms Breakwell were captured on CCTV footage having an argument.
He left the club on foot followed a short time later by Ms Breakwell in her white Holden Barina.
She pulled into the Metro service station at the corner of the Pacific Highway and Scenic Drive, and after filling up, went to look for him.
She caught up to Mr Beattie about 400 metres down the road and tried to convince him to get in her car but the couple began to argue.
Ms Breakwell drove south to the intersection of Scenic Drive and Wills St where she did a U-turn and drove north before turning around again and pulled up along side Mr Beattie who she spoke to through the open passenger window.
It resulted in another argument and she left, sending a text message to a close friend who she later called.
The agreed facts state Mr Beattie was captured on CCTV walking along the eastern shoulder of the southbound lane where he was passed by a number of motorists.
“The motorists observed him walking in a straight line,” the facts read.
Curtale, meanwhile, decided she needed cigarettes and drove to the Metro service station in her black Subaru Imprezza.
After making her purchase she turned left onto Scenic Drive and travelled south until she collided with Mr Beattie who was walking between the guard rail and the solid white line.
“The impact sent Beattie spearing through the air a number of metres before he struck the guardrail,” the agreed facts read.
“The impact redirected him up and over the guard rail and he landed within the grassy shrubbery adjacent to the guard rail. The offender drove away.”
By 11am the next day Mr Beattie’s partner Ms Breakwell called police who attended their home and took details to compile a missing person’s report.
After police left, Ms Breakwell got in her car and went looking for him.
As she drove north along Scenic Drive she noticed what she believed to be his shoe.
She did a U-turn and pulled up alongside the guard rail near Wills St where she made the gruesome discovery before flagging down a passing car.
A crime scene was established but Mr Beattie was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was taken to Newcastle Morgue where a Coroner would later find he died of multiple injuries to his head, neck, chest and abdomen.
At 9.40am on Monday, Curtale attended Toukley Police Station where she handed her self in. Her vehicle was seized.
She participated in a recorded interview “where she made admissions to police about having an impact with what she believed to be an animal”, according to the facts.
“The offender told police she looked in the rear-vision mirror but did not stop because she was scared, as it was dark, and she was alone.
Curtale was committed for sentence in Gosford District Court on November 21.