Joshua Knight pleads guilty to 2018 hit-and-run death of firefighter pilot Ian Pullen at Singleton

More than three years after hero New Zealand firefighter Ian Pullen was found dead on a Singleton street, Joshua Knight has admitted hitting him and driving from the scene.

The driver in a hit-and-run that killed a hero New Zealand firefighter pilot was seen crashing his ute into a fence in the days after the collision to provide another explanation for the damage to the HiLux.

Joshua Knight, 31, has admitted to killing Ian Pullen in the Hunter Valley three-and-half years ago, while Mr Pullen was in the country to help fight out-of-control bushfires.

Knight struck Mr Pullen on a suburban street at Glenridding, near Singleton, between 4am-5am on September 29, 2018.

Joshua Knight has admitted hitting New Zealand firefighting pilot Ian Pullen before driving off as the father lay dying on a Singleton road.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty in Newcastle District Court to failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death.

Mr Pullen, 43, was drunk and walking home from the pub when he was killed just 20 metres from the caravan park where he was staying.

The father-of-three’s body was discovered by residents of Carrington St later that morning.

His death was treated as a straight forward hit-and-run and remained a mystery until a $350,000 reward for information was offered one year later.

Ian Pullen, who was found dead at Singleton in November 2018, and his wife Vicki. Picture: Supplied.

A tip-off led detectives to Knight, Nicole Mason, Lilli-Jane Kaye Sales and Ivy-Jean Ward, who police said in court documents were all friends due to their shared use of methylamphetamine, or ice.

In the documents police said Knight, who was disqualified from driving at the time, attempted to brake when he saw Mr Pullen on the roadway.

“Nicole Mason and Lilli Sales were passengers in his vehicle,” a statement of facts said.

“The deceased was standing on the roadway at the time, significantly intoxicated.

“Knight saw the deceased and applied the brakes, causing skid marks on the roadway.

“The front of Knight’s vehicle impacted with the deceased occasioning injuries to him that would later cause his death.”

The scene of the hit-and-run at Glendinning in 2018.

Police said Knight exited the vehicle to check on Mr Pullen, before fleeing the scene.

“All persons in the vehicle were immediately aware of the impact,” the statement of facts said.

“Knight stopped his vehicle. He and Nicole Mason got out and approached the deceased.

“The deceased was still alive. They all left the scene. At no time did Knight render the deceased assistance.”

Knight and Mason were initially charged with murder, with police alleging in previous proceedings that they returned to the scene and beat Mr Pullen over the head.

But that charge was downgraded after an autopsy revealed Mr Pullen would have died within an hour from the injuries he received from the vehicle impact, regardless of whether he received medical attention or not.

Two days after the collision, Knight was caught on CCTV repeatedly driving his HiLux into a fence at Singleton Rugby Club.

“(This was) in order to provide an alternate explanation for the damage to his vehicle caused by the impact with the deceased, or to alter the damage to his vehicle caused by the impact with the deceased,” the statement of facts said.

Nicole Mason will face sentencing proceedings in June for concealing a serious indictable offence.

Coincidentally, later on the day of the collision, Knight led police on a short pursuit after failing to stop his vehicle as directed.

Police terminated the lights and sirens chase after he left the road, dislodging a bollard and driving off via a pedestrian walkway.

After pleading guilty to the hit and run charge on Friday, Knight has also asked Judge Roy Ellis to take into account offences relating to the police pursuit and maliciously damaging the fence.

He will face a sentencing hearing in June.

Knight was one of six people charged over Mr Pullen’s death.

For her role, Nicole Mason, 32, pleaded guilty on Friday to concealing a serious indictable offence and will also face sentencing proceedings in June.

Ivy-Jean Ward has pleaded not guilty to concealing a serious indictable offence and is expected to face trial.

Lilli-Jane Sales, 23, and Knight’s then-girlfriend Ivy Jean Ward, 28, were each charged with concealing a serious indictable offence.

Police allege Sales denied any knowledge of the collision and lied about being in a neighbouring town at the time, and that Ward allowed Knight to hide his ute at her mother’s home and lied that she was in fact the owner of the vehicle.

Sales’s father, Mark Sales, 48, was charged with conceal serious indictable offence and hinder investigation of serious indictable offence, with police alleging he told detectives his daughter was in the car at the time of the collision, but refused to make a formal statement or further speak to officers.

Lilli-Jane Sales and Ward have each pleaded not guilty and are expected to stand trial later this year. Sales Sr has yet to enter a plea to his charges.

Former Hunter Valley Nomads president Bradley Bowtell, 39, who later dated Ward, was charged with two counts of concealing a serious indictable offence and one of hinder investigation of serious indictable offence, with police alleging he lied about his knowledge of the collision and attempted to divert police attention by falsely accusing one of his workers of being behind the wheel.

Bowtell was cleared of the charges in September last year after a magistrate ruled police had not proven their case.