‘Criminal charges won’t bring my son back, but might give us’ closure and ‘trust in the process’

Jai Wright’s family is supporting the State Coroner’s decision to refer the matter of his death back to the DPP for possible criminal charges against a police officer.

A regular Sydney family home brimming with cheeky giggles, childlike chatter and bouncing soccer balls now has a permanent underlay of sorrow.

A special brother, the glue that kept the family together, one who could turn any tense situation around with a cheeky smile, is never coming home.

Jai Kalani Wright, like many teenagers, made a dumb mistake one night in February 2022 – and it cost him his life.

There are still questions to be answered and lessons to be learned from the circumstances leading up to the fatal crash involving Jai and a police car – questions his family wants answered for the sake of justice, closure and a brighter future.

The Wright family is supporting the State Coroner ­Teresa O’Sullivan’s decision to suspend the two-week inquest into Jai’s death and refer the matter back to the DPP for possible criminal charges against a police officer.

Jai Wright played soccer for Enfield Allstars. Picture: Supplied

While criminal charges won’t bring Jai back, Lachlan Wright, the operations manager at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, said it would bring some closure and “trust in the process”.

“We will never have Jai back and that’s the only thing you’d really want that would make things OK, right?” he said in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph.

Lachlan Wright after the inquest into the death of his son, Jai, was handed down. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“But I guess this win we had getting this matter referred back to the DPP, that brought us so much joy – joy that finally the answers will come, the truth will come out.

“How long will that happiness last? Probably not long, but I believe it will bring our family some healing.”

Mr Wright said the lead-up to the coronial inquest had been an extremely emotional time, reliving the events of February 19 almost two years ago.

Jai, a state level futsal player following in the footsteps of his dad who represented Australia at two world championships, had been for dinner with his family the night before the crash, celebrating his elder brother’s 18th birthday.

Then he went to meet up with friends.

The next morning Mr Wright set about getting his younger son to his regular soccer match and saw a ­policeman in his street.

Lachlan Wright with his kids (from left) Marli, Josephine Whitton-Jarrett and Turaku. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

He knew deep in his gut something was terribly wrong.

He would soon learn the motorbike Jai was riding had collided with an unmarked police car at a busy intersection at Alexandria, in south Sydney.

Police said the bike was stolen along with a black Mercedes, both of which had been spotted by officers on King St, Newtown, half an hour before the incident.

Police seized the Mercedes and the motorbike shortly after the collision and arrested another 15-year-old boy in nearby Eveleigh.

The boy was later charged with car theft.

The inquest heard officers were told over police radio they should stay in the area but not pursue the stolen ­vehicles, but CCTV and in-car video footage played to the court showed Sergeant Benedict Bryant swinging an unmarked silver Holden Commodore sedan around in front of the bike before it hit the police vehicle at high speed.

Jai Wright with his stepmother Christy and father Lachlan. Picture: Supplied

Jai Wright with his mum Kylie and two of his brothers. Picture: Supplied

The court was told the police officer did not activate his lights or siren before performing the roadblock and had four traffic offences, including a caution, on his driving record at the time.

Mr Wright said it was devastating for him and his family to watch in court the graphic footage of the bike’s wreckage strewn across the road.

“Jai was like the glue in our family, bringing my wife’s two kids and my three boys together, and then we had our boy and my kinship daughter,” he said.

“He did the same for his mother, her husband and her two stepsons.

“He was the middleman. Not just in age, in everything.”

Mr Wright said he would always wonder what would have been and feels sad that Jai will never have the chance to complete his apprenticeship as an electrician, fulfil his soccer dreams and become a proud Dunghutti man.

And while people will judge and throw opinions around, his son will never get the chance to regret his mistake.

“Our son had never been in trouble with the law; we have never been in a situation like this and never expected to be,” Mr Wright said.

“We are like any parents and never thought this would happen to us either.

“He still lives with us. We remember him all the time.

“All we look for in life is the truth so that we’re able to take that with us and move forward, help our grieving process and understand that we don’t have him with us any more.

“The truth will set us free.”