Lisarow hit-and-run trail bike rider who ran over boy, 11, sentenced over crash
A disqualified rider who left a boy, 11, with a shattered skull after ploughing into him at Lisarow — on the Central Coast — on an unregistered, uninsured trail bike in 2015 has finally been sentenced.
Steven Chapman stopped briefly after mowing down an 11-year-old boy on an unregistered, uninsured trail bike.
Shocked onlookers could scarcely believe what they had seen.
But as the boy’s motionless body lay on the bitumen with a badly fractured skull, the now 37-year-old Chapman legged it and went into hiding for more than 10 days until he was arrested by police.
On the eve of his first trial in 2016 Chapman did it again, absconding from bail with a Gosford District Court forced to issue a warrant for his arrest.
But after 1169 days — some three years and nine months later — Chapman finally faced justice and was jailed for a maximum two and a half years.
Chapman was sentenced at Newcastle District Court on Friday after finally pleading guilty to a raft of offences including negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, not give particulars, riding an unregistered, uninsured trail bike, disqualified driving and failing to stop and render assistance.
Tellingly it was that last offence, leaving the helpless child laying prone on the ground before fleeing the scene, which gave the Judge rise to impose Chapman’s heaviest penalty.
It had been an overcast but pleasant winter’s Sunday on June 21, 2015.
A lot of people were still getting around in shorts.
The child was crossing Parsons Rd at Lisarow when Chapman came flying around the corner from the Pacific Highway at 2.09pm on an orange and black 450CC KTM trail bike.
Instinctively the boy went to run but then pulled up, not knowing whether to try and make it to the other side or let the rider pass.
It was a split second decision, which in the end made no difference as Chapman was already bearing down on top of him.
The force of the collision knocked the child off his feet.
Onlookers would later tell police Chapman stopped momentarily and turned back to look at the boy before riding off towards Newling St.
He came to a dead end turned around and rode back to the Pacific Highway and was last seen riding the bike over the pedestrian bridge at Lisarow Station.
The boy was flown to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead where he remained for days in an induced coma with a shattered skull.
Doctors didn’t think he would survive let alone recover to the extent he did.
The next day an anonymous tip-off led police to track down a helmet and the orange and black KTM trail bike seen leaving the scene.
Tests revealed Chapman’s DNA was found on the helmet and some clothes.
Initially Chapman’s lawyer told a court the DNA was found because the items were his but the identity of the rider remained in dispute.
In the end Chapman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months jail for the negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm charge and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
He was also given an 18-month disqualification for riding without a licence.
Chapman was given no penalty for the other relatively minor traffic offences but was sentenced to two and a half years jail or failing to stop and assist with a non-parole period of one year and four months.
With time already served he will be eligible for release on July 27, 2019.
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