Ice user Simon Vucko suffers brain injury in crash, avoids prison

An iced-up, unlicensed career criminal who smashed a stolen car in Camberwell and was left with brain injuries has avoided a fourth stint behind bars after the judge took pity on him.

Simon Vucko received a community corrections order after crashing a car while using ice.

An iced-up, unlicensed career criminal who smashed a stolen car into a brick fence has avoided a fourth stint behind bars due to the severity of his injuries.

Simon Vucko was airborne for about 10m just before he crashed the stolen car he was driving, from which he suffered a brain injury.

Vucko pleaded guilty at the County Court to reckless conduct endangering life, theft, possession of a drug of dependence and unlicensed driving.

Judge Patricia Riddell said the injuries would serve “as a lifelong form of punishment and reminder” for his actions.

On November 5 2016, Vucko was travelling “at very high speed” west on Toorak Rd towards the intersection of Burke Rd in Camberwell in an Audi Q7 wagon, which he stole the previous evening from Mt Waverley.

The then 37-year-old, who already had a “serious” criminal history having gone to jail three times, was seen by paramedics as the car caused gouge marks in the road upon landing, before smashing into a brick fence about 2.30am.

He was later found to have ice in his system.

“It is only by good fortune here that no-one else was seriously injured or killed,” Judge Riddell said.

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“Too often these courts see the drastic consequences of young men driving at speed and drug-affected.

“Sentences … must express the community’s denunciation of such behaviour which often places innocent people at risk.”

Injuries from the crash left him with multiple spinal and thoracic fractures, lower-leg injuries to both legs, significant abdominal trauma and a severe traumatic brain injury.

The court heard that Vucko was in a coma for several weeks and the brain injury severely impacted his cognitive function with an IQ of 67 — within the second-lowest percentile.

Judge Riddell said she was influenced in her decision by the apparent epiphany Vucko had during his months at various hospitals and rehabilitation centres.

Vucko’s case manager, Trish O’Ryan, described him as “genuinely remorseful” for his past lifestyle and offending and was unlike any she had previously seen.

Vucko was convicted and sentenced to a three-year community corrections order for 100 hours and was disqualified from driving for three months.