Scarlett Lenehan death: Alec Vidot-Coleman gives emotional evidence in sentence hearing

A couple excited for their upcoming American adventure drove off on a Maccas run before a fatal crash changed everything. The man responsible has told a court how he wishes it could all be different.

A young, loved-up couple hopped into a car for a Maccas ice-cream run after a day of playing netball and talking excitedly about the trip to America they booked just days ago.

Minutes later, the aspiring football player held the love of his life in his arms amid a car wreckage as he tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate her.

Alec Vidot-Coleman, 24, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of his 20-year-old girlfriend, Scarlett Lenehan, in December 2019 when his Nissan Silvia ploughed into a Toyota Camry.

Ms Lenehan, who died in hospital, was a 2016 honour roll student at the exclusive Sydney girls’ school, Loreto Kirribilli.

In emotional court scenes, Vidot-Coleman told the court he wished he could trade places with his “best friend” whom he spent every day with.

Vidot-Coleman has admitted to driving dangerously and causing his girlfriend’s death. Picture: Damian Shaw

“I just wish it could be different,” he told the court through tears. “I wish it wasn’t her. If there was anything I could do to change any part of what happened I would. If I could trade places I would. She was the nicest, kindest person”.

While giving evidence during a second day of a sentence hearing on Thursday, Vidot-Coleman recalled how he came to lose control of his car, just 30 seconds after he and Ms Lenehan had left a petrol station at West Ryde.

Vidot-Coleman with his late girlfriend Lenehan. Picture: Supplied

Scarlett Lenehan was an honour roll student at an exclusive Sydney girls’ school

He told the court he believed he was speeding by “about 10km over the limit,” in a 60km/h zone in the moments before the crash, but was definitely not travelling at 100km/h as the Crown suggested.

The court heard he was going with the flow of the traffic when he noticed a car ahead slow down, so he quickly tried to respond by moving down a gear, but his manual car lost control.

“The car just went sideways; I tried pulling it back to the left … the steering wheel locked to left and it just kept going to right,” he said.

Vidot-Coleman told the court he noticed there was water “spread along the road” even though it hadn’t been raining and believed his car wouldn’t have “kicked sideways” if it was dry.

The badly damaged blue Nissan Vidot-Coleman was behind the wheel of. Picture: 7 News

At this point, Vidot-Coleman had to pause for a few minutes as he cried, before telling the court he tried to give Ms Lenehan CPR.

Asked by his lawyer Brett Galloway how Ms Lenehan’s family would feel, he said he’d spoken to his late girlfriend’s mum several times and she was “obviously devastated”.

“Scarlett’s mum said she still can’t go into her (daughter’s) bedroom and how much she missed her. We all do,” he told the court.

The Carlingford man is studying real estate and coaches the Willoughby Wildcats AFL junior team. He said he had been approached by a professional AFL team in Victoria, but could not join them until he learned his fate in court.

The Crown prosecutor told the court CCTV footage showed Vidot-Coleman’s break lights did not turn on until he had already lost control, and that he had told police nothing about seeing water on the road.

Brett Galloway. Picture: Lucy Hughes Jones

“Is it possible that you are creating memories now to alleviate guilt for causing Scarlett’s death,” the prosecutor asked.

“No,” Vidot-Coleman responded.

Across the two-day sentence hearing, Mr Galloway argued his client’s speed alone did not kill Ms Lenehan.

He has cross-examined several police witnesses, questioning them about water, rubbish and slurry on the road, as well as worn out tyres.

But Judge Sarah Huggett said she was unclear with “where all this was going”.

“If your client is accepting his guilt that he caused the death, what, with respect, is the relevance of water or sludge or cracks in the road,” Judge Huggett asked.

“Wouldn’t that increase the objective seriousness because if there’s water on the road, then he has to adjust his driving to the conditions?”

Mr Galloway responded: “It wasn’t raining. The water was unexpected.”

Vidot-Coleman’s evidence will continue on Friday.