Adelaide criminal defence lawyer Peter Hill sentenced after injuring woman in car crash

An experienced lawyer drove through a red light and crashed into a woman’s car – before taking beer bottles from his car and fleeing the scene. Now he’s been sentenced.

Defence lawyer Peter Hill leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court after being sentenced.

An experienced Adelaide criminal defence lawyer fled the scene of a crash – first taking beer bottled from his car – and leaving a woman injured, with a magistrate saying his actions were “inexcusable”.

On Thursday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court finalised the matter of Peter Alexander Hill, a practising criminal defence lawyer for more than 20 years, who was charged after a crash in 2024 in Lonsdale.

Magistrate Michael Barnett said Hill’s conduct was “inexcusable” and the only factor in his favour was the “good fortune” no one had been seriously injured.

“Leaving the scene of the accident without checking on the other driver was in my view an inexcusable act of self-preservation,” Mr Barnett said.

On August 13, 2024, Hill travelled through a red turning arrow and into the path of a car driven lawfully by a woman through the intersection of Lonsdale and Meyer Rd, in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, around 6.30pm.

Hill represented himself in court and pleaded guilty to causing the crash in Lonsdale.

The court heard the woman took evasive action, but collided with Hill’s car with enough force to deploy both cars’ airbags, and suffered physical injuries.

Mr Barnett said the woman was afraid her car would catch fire after the cabin filled with smoke.

“She says she immediately experienced rapid breathing, weak legs, shaking and a burning pain in her arms and a pain to her chest and abdomen area,” His Honour said.

“After causing that harm to the other driver you left the scene of the accident after removing beer from the car and then locking it, without giving your particulars to the other driver.”

Hill submitted to the court he had called his wife to take him to the hospital, but the couple headed home and he went to bed – and the family did not answer the door when police attended.

“I think that your actions … are more consistent with having taken some deliberate steps to avoid scrutiny and to avoid immediately facing up to the consequences of your actions and the circumstance in which you drove carelessly and inattentively.

“As an experienced criminal lawyers you were well aware of the duty of a driver who had been involved in a crash.”

Hill pleaded guilty to failing to stop at a red arrow, leaving an accident scene after causing harm, failing to give particulars at a scene and failing to give particulars to police.

It was not alleged that Hill was under the influence of alcohol.

The court heard Mr Hill had a previous drink driving conviction in 2008, driving through a red light in 2016 and prior convictions for driving unregistered and uninsured.

Mr Barnett accepted any sentence of immediate imprisonment would have a “devastating” impact on his career and family.

Mr Barnett sentenced Hill to six months jail, suspended on entry into a 12-month good behaviour bond and a $500 fine.

Hill’s licence was disqualified for 12 months, backdated to August 2024.

Originally published as Adelaide criminal defence lawyer Peter Hill sentenced after injuring woman in car crash