Jason Wylie pleads guilty to fatal crash, killing Harold Chatfield
The ‘stupidity’ of a former professional driver’s actions, which led to the death of a respected elder in the indigenous community, have been revealed following the fatal crash outside an inner west school.
Inner West
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Former professional driver Jason Wylie has conceded he was showing off and speeding at 215km/h on the Hume Highway before he fatally struck father Harold Chatfield who was standing on the footpath near an inner west high school.
The 42-year-old appeared at Parramatta District Court on Friday, when he was due to be sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death from the incident at 10.40am on July 5, 2018.
The court heard Wylie, of Waterloo, was racing a Mercedes driver after a set of traffic lights.
“I heard another car coming alongside me and rev his engine and I did the same thing, revved my engine,’’ Wylie said.
“I followed him and then accelerated when we had gaps in traffic.’’
After overtaking a bus at 215km/h, he lost control of the Holden Commodore and hit Mr Hatfield while driving 120km/h.
Mr Chatfield, a 55-year-old respected Aboriginal elder had just finished attending his relative’s high school assembly where he had received an award.
The school or child’s name cannot be published for legal reasons.
READ MORE: Family torment over father’s death
The Crown told Wylie, a former bus driver who also used to compete in events including the Bathurst V8 300 in the 1990s: “I suggest you were playing a game of cat and mouse.
“I suggest you knew there was a school zone there and you're underplaying your knowledge of that now.’
Wylie replied “absolutely not.’’
Asked by the defence why he raced the other driver, Wylie conceded, “showing off, stupidity’’ before breaking down in tears and apologising to the victim’s family, including a young relative who blames himself for the tragedy because Mr Chatfield visited him at the school that tragic morning.
“I want to tell them how sorry I was,’’ Wylie said.
“I’m so sorry for my actions on the day causing the loss of Mr Chatfield.
“There’s no explanation for the way I drove. It’s entirely my fault. I’d also like to say sorry ... it’s not your fault. It’s mine, I’m sorry.’’
Wylie told the court he was overcome by the kindness of the former St Vincent de Paul charity worker’s family who embraced him at an early court appearance.
“Some of them gave me hugs and I can’t believe how kind they were to me. I never expected that and I’m so sorry,’’ he said.
The court heard six months before the fatality, Wylie was behind the wheel of the Holden Commodore carrying two passengers when it crashed into a pole at an Ingleburn industrial estate.
No charges were laid after the incident.
When he was 18, he was charged with producing fake ID for appliances and received a three-year good behaviour bond and fine.
The defence told the court Wylie showed remorse from the beginning and asked Judge Sophia Beckett for a lenient custodial sentence.
“He was clearly distressed.
“Neither through his actions or words did he try to abandon his responsibility.’’
The court was also shown footage of the police interview on the day Wylie was charged when he said “Oh f***, oh f***, poor guy now. I don’t want to say anything, I’m too distressed.’’
Mr Chatfield’s fiancee Tracey Anne Madden and sister Jackie Evans attended the hearing.
His family in Canberra also listened to the hearing virtually. At the previous hearing, the family’s victim impact statements told how a street-smart Mr Chatfield grew up in Woolloomooloo and Redfern and was a respected elder in the indigenous community.
He overcame gambling and alcohol problems before working for St Vincent de Paul and CatholicCare in Canberra and Waitara.
Wylie was supported in court by his partner, aunt and cousin who he embraced outside court, clearly relieved about another week of freedom following the adjournment.
The sentence was adjourned to September 25.