Christopher Chandler appeals sentence after crash that killed toddler
A man who hit and killed a 17-month-old girl while trying to escape police has launched an appeal against his 19-year jail sentence.
Police & Courts
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An ice-addicted driver who killed a Sydney toddler while trying to escape police is attempting to appeal his sentence after he was jailed for at least 13 years.
Christopher Chandler was sentenced in 2017 to 19 years with 13 years non-parole for the manslaughter of 17-month-old little girl Tateolena Tauaifaga in 2015.
Chandler, now 30, appeared in the Criminal Court of Appeal from a cell at Goulburn Correctional Centre on Friday, as his legal team appealed the length of his jail term.
Tateolena was playing with her sisters in the backyard of her family’s Constitution Hill home on January 8, 2015, when Chandler, who was engaged in a pursuit with police, careered through the fence and hit her.
After he drove through the backyard killing Tateolena, he smashed through another fence into Richill Park, forcing adults and children to run for their lives.
He then took police on a seven-minute pursuit at speeds up to 140km/h.
“I am satisfied this offence … is at the gravest end of the spectrum of crimes of involuntary manslaughter,” Supreme Court Justice Peter Johnson said in sentencing.
During the hearing in the Criminal Court of Appeal, his barrister argued his offence was not at the “gravest end” of offending, and Justice Johnson had not given his “deprived background” enough consideration on sentencing.
“It’s accepted this is clearly serious. What is challenged is the characterisation of it being at the greatest end (of the scale),” he said.
However, the Crown prosecutor argued Chandler’s offending was aggravated by several features – including the fact he was on bail at the time and driving a stolen car.
Justice Peter Hamill, Justice Robert Beech-Jones and Justice Natalie Adams reserved their judgment in the matter.
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