Adam Bortic jailed for Salamander Bay crash which killed two workmates and injured another
It was the day a Queensland man nervously awaited, knowing he’d be sent to jail. He was responsible for killing two workmates in a Port Stephens crash in 2018, when he got behind the wheel drunk and was speeding excessively.
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A court has heard a Queensland man who slammed his car into a tree while drunk and under the influence of cannabis, killing two of his workmates, experiences “guilt” and “flashbacks”, which has haunted him since the day of the crash.
Adam Anthony Bortic, 33, was sentenced to six years jail after he lost control of his car on Soldier’s Point Rd at Salamander Bay on April 13, 2018, killing friends Jamie Ward, 34, and 29-year-old Estonian national Lauri Jurman.
Ward suffered critical injuries and died at the scene, Jurman was transported to the John Hunter Hospital but died on the way.
A fourth workmate in the vehicle, Reece Ashe, also suffered serious injuries including a lacerated liver, while Bortic fractured both wrists and his leg.
All four men were employed by Queensland company Myzac Construction and were in Salamander Bay for a four-month contract to build a retirement home.
The group were “binge” drinking at the nearby Salamander Bay tavern into the early hours of Friday morning when Bortic decided to get behind the wheel to drive back to their accommodation, according to police facts.
But a stupid mistake, speeding at more than 136km/h in a 50 zone, saw Bortic fail to negotiate a sweeping right hand bend at around 1am, before mounting a concrete kerb and smashing into a tree.
A later blood sample taken from Bortic found he was more than three times over the legal limit, at 0.183.
Cannabis was also detected in his system that night, although an analyst confirmed it had likely been in his system for some time and there was likely no impact from it.
Bortic pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death - which carries a maximum of 14 years in jail - and driving with illicit drugs in his system.
He originally pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm in relation to passenger Reece Ashe and was committed for trial last year, but he eventually changed his plea to guilty.
In Newcastle District Court on Wednesday, Bortic - dressed in a crisp white shirt and khaki pants - waited nervously to learn his fate, as distraught family members supported him in the gallery and a distraught family member of the deceased Mr Jurman watched on via video link from Estonia.
Bortic’s lawyer told the court his client had known for some time he was going to jail for what he had done, which was a life sentence in itself.
“He’s dead man walking,” Bortic’s lawyer told the court.
“His life has been on hold since the crash and he can’t function properly.”
Judge Roy Ellis labelled Bortic’s actions as “an abandonment of moral responsibility”, but cited the 33-year-old had shown deep regret and remorse.
“The fact he caused the death of the two young men has haunted him for the last two and a half years,” Judge Ellis said.
“He (Bortic) noted how his conduct has changed the lives of three families and not a day goes by that he wishes he made different decisions on that day.
“He (Bortic) believes no punishment from the court will exceed the condemnation of his actions.
Bortic was sentenced to six years jail with a non-parole period of two years and nine months, which means he’ll be eligible for release in July 2023. He also received a four year disqualification from driving.