Norman Vancuylenberg: Ferrari crash driver sentenced
A finance boss father-of-three has conceded it was pure luck that nobody was killed when he crashed his brand new supercar into a shop front. He was handed down his punishment in court.
Inner West
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A finance boss who drunkenly crashed his brand new Ferrari into a shop front in Sydney’s CBD knows it was only by pure luck that no one was killed, a court has heard.
Norman Anthony Vancuylenberg had only been in his red sports car for a matter of “minutes” on January 6, 2020 when he lost control at the corner of Market and Castlereagh streets, mounted the footpath and slammed into David Jones about 3.25pm.
As a herd of pedestrians dived out of the way, a 61-year-old woman sustained minor hip injuries while running from the car’s path. A female passenger was not hurt.
At the time a problem drinker who would consume six to seven drinks per day, the 41-year-old driver was unlicensed and blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.107 – more than double the legal limit.
Vancuylenberg, who helped start home loan broker Rams, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving unlicensed and mid-range drink driving at a court appearance last month.
On Tuesday the emotional father-of-three was convicted at Downing Centre Local Court, where his lawyer Tom Seeney said his client had been behind the wheel of the supercar for the “first time”.
“Mr Vancuylenberg is acutely aware that it is by luck that no one was killed,” he said.
“There were a number of people on the footpath. It was only by their ability to get out of the way that no one was killed.”
Mr Seeney said Vancuylenberg, also known by last name Formisano, was unaware he lost his licence due to unpaid fines, mistakenly believing they were being direct-debited from his account.
Alcohol was a “problem” for him at the time, Mr Seeney said, but his client had not drank since the day of the crash and experienced “severe flashbacks” which had taken his desire to drive.
The Drummoyne resident had recently completed a 20-day rehab at St John of God Hospital, the court heard.
Magistrate Jacqueline Trad described the facts of the case as “extremely worrying” and questioned Vancuylenberg, who had the money to buy a “high-performance vehicle”, couldn’t pay his traffic fines.
“There is a lack of attention to your obligations in regards to your drivers’ license,” she said.
Magistrate Trad convicted the Giant Finance Group chief executive of all charges, imposing a two-year community corrections order.
He was suspended from driving for 18 months, fined $800 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.