Antoine Chidiac jailed after partner Rima Hanna killed in Sylvania crash

A driver who had drugs in his system when he crashed into another car and killed his girlfriend, Rima Hanna, in south Sydney has been jailed. Find out how he walked out of court.

Rima Hanna (inset) was killed when her boyfriend, Antoine Chidiac, lost control of the car and collided with another vehicle on the opposite side of the road in Sylvania earlier this year. He appeared in Sutherland Local Court for a sentencing hearing on Tuesday. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis, Inset: Supplied

A man has been released on bail only hours after he was jailed for killing his girlfriend when he crashed into another car.

Antoine Chidiac, 34, was sentenced to 12 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months in Sutherland Local Court on Monday.

Rima Hanna, 40, was killed when Chidiac lost control of his car and collided with another vehicle on the opposite side of the road in Sylvania earlier this year.

The Belmore man pleaded guilty to negligent driving occasioning death, not giving particulars to police and driving a vehicle with illicit drugs present in the blood.

Antoine Chidiac was release on bail after he appealed his jail sentence for a car crash where his girlfriend Rima Hanna died. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly accepted no other sentence than jail was appropriate due to the seriousness of the crash.

He also suspended Chidiac from driving for three years.

Chidiac applied to be released on bail after he lodged an appeal.

Mr Donnelly agreed to release him provided he lives at home in Sutherland, abide by a nighttime curfew unless in the company of a family member, does not drink alcohol or take illicit drugs, and does not drive a car, and a $3000 surety would be forfeited if he did not comply with the conditions.

Antoine Chidiac was charged with negligent driving occasioning death after he lost control of his car, went over a median strip and collided with another car killing his girlfriend in Sylvania. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

The court previously heard from the heartbroken sister of Ms Hanna, Barbara, who said on behalf of her siblings and elderly parents that losing Rima had been very difficult because her death was “sudden and unexpected”.

She said the whole family still mourned her death, especially her 85-year-old father, who now struggled to find a reason to live.

Ms Hanna added that he suffered from anxiety and depression and still believed his daughter would walk through the door.

“We will live with this nightmare for the rest of our lives,” Ms Hanna said.

“There are no words to truly express how our family feels, but Rima was someone so caring and full of life.”

Ms Hanna said being unable to be with their sister in her last moments was one of the hardest parts, adding her family wished they could have been there to let her know she was not alone and to say goodbye.

She then addressed Chidiac and said, “because of your negligence, our heartache and anxieties will never go away”.

What led to fatal crash

Agreed facts tendered to the court said Chidiac was driving a maroon Toyota Corolla in the northbound lane of the Princes Highway at Sylvania while Ms Hanna was in the front passenger seat on March 27 this year around 11am.

Meanwhile, a woman was travelling in the southbound lane in a blue Honda HRV.

Chidiac approached a set of traffic lights before he went around a sweeping right-hand bend.

He then crossed the two other northbound lanes before the car went into an uncontrolled slide, travelling perpendicular to the road before hitting the median strip.

The documents said that the car travelled across the strip and collided with the left-hand side of the Honda, and the female driver did not have enough time to react.

Dashcam footage from the Honda showed Ms Hanna as the passenger and Chidiac as the driver, who had both hands on the wheel at the time of impact.

Rima Hanna is being remembered as a “caring, selfless and loving person”. Picture: Supplied

Ms Hanna died at the scene a short time after the collision.

Chaldaic suffered minor injuries, while the other driver was uninjured.

Emergency services attended, and Chidiac was taken to the hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing, while the other driver also returned a negative breath test.

Crash investigation unit officers attended and documented the scene while Chidiac‘s car was seized and examined.

Chidiac‘s blood test revealed he had trace amounts of THC and fentanyl in his system, but the levels were not at the point he would have been impaired while driving, the documents said.

Antoine Chidiac waited anxiously outside Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

The vehicle examination showed no faults or defects, and police could not determine if Chidiac‘s phone was used at the time of the crash.

Investigators obtained CCTV from several sources, including the dashcam footage showing the Toyota starting to rotate before the collision.

Chidiac, upon legal advice, did not give an interview to the police or explain what happened to cause the collision.

The police noted wet patches on the road from scattered rain, but other vehicles had no issues navigating the same stretch of road.

Tribute to loving family member

Outside court, Ms Hanna‘s niece Rachelle said, on behalf of her family, that her aunt was “the most caring, selfless and loving person that we could’ve ever had in our lives”.

“She always put her family first, and her nieces and nephews were always at the centre of her heart,” she said.

The court heard that Chidiac‘s father died in a car crash due to his mother’s negligence behind the wheel when he was six years old and nearly 30 years later he was also involved in a fatal crash. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

“Rima was always doing good deeds for others. She never thought of herself and was always there as a shoulder to lean on.

“She lived her life to the fullest and was so full of life, love and happiness.

“She was one irreplaceable person, and the impact of her loss will always be felt. Her spirit will live beyond generations.

“She was the light in our lives and will forever be missed.”

“Momentary distraction or negligence”

In court, Chidiac‘s lawyer Ben Barrack said there was no evidence to suggest his client was speeding before losing control of the car, but he did accept there was a “momentary distraction or negligence”.

He said the trace amounts of drugs in Chidiac‘s system could be taken into account but did not significantly impact the offending because it did not impact his driving.

The court heard Chidiac had not smoked cannabis since the crash.

Mr Barrack noted his client‘s driving history did not assist him nor afford him leniency.

He said Chidiac had no memory of the circumstances that caused the collision but accepted it was his fault adding his remorse was “palpable and overwhelming”.

Antoine Chidiac will learn his fate next week. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Mr Barrack said Chidiac was also grieving the loss of his girlfriend, who he hoped to marry, and was sorry to her family and the other female driver.

He said Chidiac “hated” himself, had PTSD, depression and anxiety and was seeing a psychologist to work through those issues.

The court heard Chidiac had worked in an aluminium factory since he was 20 years old but could not return to work since the accident.

Mr Barrack said a position was available when he was ready to return to work.

The court also heard that Chidiac‘s father died in a car crash due to his mother’s negligence behind the wheel when he was six years old.

“This is the second huge tragedy. Thirty years later, this has occurred due to his own negligence,” Mr Barrack said.

He asked for his client to be able to serve a sentence while in the community.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly will give his sentence on Monday.