Bert Vieira ‘utterly disgusted’ with cop’s sentence for injuring his wife

Police officer Harry Little learnt his fate in a Sydney court today after smashing into Gai Vieira’s car at speed in 2018.

Prominent Sydney racehorse owner Bert Vieira says he feels “utterly disgusted” after a police officer avoided jail time over a high-speed crash that left his wife requiring around-the-clock care.

NSW Police Senior Constable Harry Little, 43, was driving at 135km/h and using no warning signals just before he ploughed into Gai Vieira’s car as he pursued another driver who was suspected of using a mobile phone on a Cronulla road in 2018.

Ms Vieira suffered a brain injury and requires two carers to look after her for 24 hours a day inside her home.

She is also learning how to speak again.

Harry Little outside the Downing Centre on Friday. Picture: Damian Shaw

Gai Vieira (left) before the 2018 collision.

NSW District Court Judge Sarah Huggett convicted Little on Friday and sentenced him to a 12-month community correction order after he had pleaded guilty to negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Outside court, Mr Vieira told The Daily Telegraph he felt let down by the verdict given his wife’s suffering.

“My heart bleeds for her … I’m utterly disgusted because it’s not fair, is it? My wife has been in jail for three years locked up in her body,” he said.

Bert Vieira after Trapeze Artist wins at Randwick racecourse in 2018.

Emergency crews at the crash scene.

“I’ve been in jail because I’m taking care of her 24/7, it’s not like I can go out.

“I maybe go out once every few weeks … when I get something running at Rosehill for a group one, I might go out, but I don’t go out anywhere, I don’t even go out for dinner.

“I’m here with her every night – it’s very hard for us and our family.”

Mr Vieira said his wife understands when people talk and is mentally alert but that she has no movement in her arms.

She also cannot balance properly and she needs a wheelchair to assist in her movement.

The carers help her to shower.

Despite their dire situation, Mr Vieira said he still holds hope his wife will recover, given her strong determination.

“As her husband, I always hold hope. I believe one day, it might be a year or two years, I believe she will improve her speech because she’s talking better,” he said.

“Whether she’ll walk? She wants to. She’s a determined woman.”

The court heard Little, a father of one who has been a police officer for 20 years, began to drink alcohol to excess and has experienced severe depression following the incident.

A doctor thought Little may not be able to develop enough “self-confidence and a sense of safety and trust in the organisation” in order to return to active duty, the court heard.

As part of his sentence, Little must comply with a treatment plan from a doctor.

His licence was also disqualified for 12 months.