Noraville: Callum Sutherland of St Claire avoids further jail for ploughing into Central Coast teens
A disqualified drunk-driver who ploughed into two teenagers at Noraville, fracturing one of their skulls and dragging another 4m along the ground under a van, has avoided further jail time.
Central Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A 19-year-old from St Clair in Sydney’s west has avoided further jail time after he took his dad’s van without permission, gave some friends a lift to a party and then ran over two teenagers at Noraville.
Callum Sutherland was sentenced to 12 months jail at Wyong Local Court on Monday with a non-parole period of three months.
He was arrested last year after taking his dad’s Ford Transit van to buy cigarettes about 3am on November 3 before giving some friends a lift to a party and crashing.
He spent three months in custody until his release on bail in February — a condition of which he live with his mother at St Clair — meaning he will not have to spend any further time behind bars.
Sutherland pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing harm, causing harm by misconduct, driving while suspended, stealing a car and driving with a high range blood alcohol level of 0.198.
For the first time an agreed set of police facts, tendered at sentencing, reveals details of the harrowing crash and how a passer by had to intervene when partygoers dragged him from the vehicle and began assaulting him.
The facts state the suspended driver left his dad’s address at Manoe Rd, Halekulani, about 3am to buy cigarettes from a nearby service station when he met a friend who was with three other young males.
He agreed to give the group a lift to a party at Noraville with two jumping in the front and two in the back.
“The rear of the van had no seats or seat belts and was filled with power tools and customised shelving,” the facts read.
The passengers later told police he was driving erratically and causing the unrestrained passengers in the back to be thrown around.
Once they reached the intersection of Budgewoi Rd and Elizabeth Drive, Sutherland stopped and the males got out.
The facts state witnesses described the passengers in the van trying to hit him and one of the front seat passengers slapping him in the face.
Sutherland then did a U-turn to return home.
“This U-turn has caused the offender’s vehicle to travel north in the southbound lane of Budgewoi Rd where the front of the vehicle impacted with (a 16-year-old girl),” the facts read.
“At this time, (a 15-year-old boy) was also impacted and over run by the offender’s vehicle.
“(The boy) was dragged under the vehicle for four metres before the vehicle stopped”.
People from the party came out and started assaulting him.
“The offender was dragged from the van and punched a number of times before a passer by shielded him from further injury,” the facts read.
The injured boy was taken to John Hunter Hospital with a deep wound to his right knee and grazes to all of his limbs, back and face.
The girl was initially taken to Wyong Hospital by friends before being taken to Royal North Shore with a fracture to the left side of her skull as well as cuts and abrasions.
Sutherland later returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.198.
In addition to his three month non-parole period he was also disqualified from driving for a further three years and fined a total of $1500.