Norman Beshara fronts court over dangerous driving at Creswick

A 68-year-old Creswick man has no memory of driving on the wrong side of the road and killing a beloved father-of-three returning home after a family lunch.

Killer driver Norman Beshara of Creswick leaving the County Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Louis Victor Xuereb of Braybrook.

Three Melbourne siblings have spoken of their grief at losing their beloved father who was killed by a man driving on the wrong side of the road after coming home from a family lunch

Braybrook builder Louis Victor Xuereb, 50, died in the horrific collision on the Creswick-Bungaree Rd on June 12, 2022.

The killer driver, Norman Gerard Beshara of Creswick, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Tuesday to one charge of dangerous driving causing death and will return to court for further plea on November 8

Court documents stated Mr Xuereb and his partner Melissa Guzzardi were returning home to Braybrook after having lunch with her family in Creswick on June 12, 2022.

As the couple approached a bend on the Creswick-Bungaree Rd, Ms Guzzardi saw a Toyota Hilux come around the corner on the wrong side of the road.

The mangled wreck of the Nissan Navara driven by Louis Victor Xuereb who died at the scene.

She yelled out and Mr Xuereb steered his Nissan Navara to the left but could not avoid a collision. The Nissan Navara was pushed backwards down an embankment and came to rest against a tree.

Ms Guzzardi managed to get out of the vehicle and saw Mr Xuereb’s seat was broken and pushed flat so he was effectively lying on the back seat.

She attempted to call emergency services from Mr Xuereb’s phone but couldn’t as the phone’s screen was smashed.

Beshara told police at the scene that he saw “a blink, a flash...that was it...it went straight through me”. He also said as far as he knew, he was on the left side of the road, and didn’t recall any car coming at him.

In her victim impact statement, Mr Xuereb’s ex-wife Antwanette Cassar said Mr Xuereb was the “life of any party” and made the most of every single moment and made everyone feel welcome.

“Despite all of his accolades, Louis would tell you that by far his biggest achievement in life was/is his three children. Louis had a hands-on approach to parenting,” she recalled.

She and Mr Xuereb were together for 30 years, married for 26 years and had three children Jordan, Monique and Anthony.

Mr Xuereb would fit his work schedule around his children and he was there for their big milestones as well as everyday run of the mill stuff, she said.

“You are not there to see our older children, Jordan and Monique, live their lives, doing everyday things and making a positive impact on the lives of those around me and the community.

“You won’t be there to teach Anthony how to drive, see him land his first part-time job, see him graduate and be there for him, as he navigates being a teenager.”

The Toyota HiLux that was driven by Norman Beshara on the wrong side of the Creswick-Bungaree Rd which resulted in a fatality.

Beshara’s lawyer Jacob Kantor said his client had no memory of the crash and was diagnosed with post collision amnesia.

He advocated for a community corrections order, given Beshara’s mental and physical health and his long history of depression.

Prosecutor Peter Pickering said being on the wrong side of the road was one of the most dangerous thing a driver could do, even without harming anyone, and that was why denunciation and deterrence were important factors in sentencing.