Daniel Andrews fails to hand over phone, credit card records after Supreme Court order

The father of a teenage cyclist struck by Daniel Andrews’ family SUV has accused the former premier of “acting like a coward” for his failure to hand over a single document in relation to the crash.

Daniel and Catherine Andrews have failed to hand over a single document in relation to a near-fatal 2013 car crash with a teenage cyclist.

The former premier and his wife had until Wednesday to surrender their mobile phone and credit card records under a Supreme Court order, but lawyers for the couple now say they are “unable to produce any of them”.

Peter Meuleman, the father of Ryan Meuleman who was 15 when he was struck by the Andrews’ family SUV in Blairgowrie, told the Herald Sun he was disgusted by the ongoing delays and backflips in the long-running subpoena fight.

“In my opinion Daniel Andrews is acting like a coward,” Mr Meuleman said.

“Two weeks ago his lawyers told the Supreme Court they would hand over the documents.

“Now, the Andrews’ are claiming they can’t find them.

“This is designed to waste time and cost us money. But we won’t give up. We will get justice for Ryan.”

Lawyers for Daniel Andrews and his wife Catherine Andrews say they are “unable to produce” the documents. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Andrews was slapped with a subpoena outside his Mulgrave home in March requiring him to produce a series of documents relating to the day of the January 7, 2013 crash.

He has since engaged one of Australia’s most expensive silks in Philip Crutchfield KC – who charges up to $25,000 a day – and high-profile lawyer Leon Zwier of major law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler.

The former premier’s legal team initially fought to contest the subpoena before capitulating and consenting to the release of the documents just hours before a scheduled Supreme Court hearing on July 8.

Costs for preparing the abandoned hearing were awarded against the Andrews camp and they were given until July 24 to produce the records.

Mr Meuleman has questioned how hard the Andrews’ tried to locate the documents, saying his family’s lawyers would now subpoena the bank and telephone companies directly.

“Daniel Andrews has had since March to get these documents ready to produce,” Mr Meuleman said.

Ryan Meuleman in hospital after the incident in 2013.

“It’s all designed to frustrate us, but it’s not going to work.”

Ryan’s legal team is seeking to establish who Mr Andrews spoke to — and when — amid concerns of interference in the aftermath of the collision.

They have accused law firm Slater & Gordon, which acted for Ryan in the aftermath of the crash, of failing to conduct “a full and proper investigation into the circumstances” of the collision and failing to act in his best interests and breaching its duty of care and obligations to him when negotiating his $80,000 TAC compensation payout.

A trial is scheduled for May next year.

The Andrews’ have always maintained that their Ford Territory was “T-boned” by the bike, while Ryan insists that the car was “speeding” and “seemed to come out of nowhere” when he was struck 17m on from the Melbourne Rd-Ridley St intersection.

Ryan Meuleman’s father, Peter Meuleman. Picture: Diego Fedele

The Andrews’ Ford territory car after the 2013 crash. Picture: Supplied

Police photographs uncovered by the Herald Sun in November 2022 showed extensive damage to the front of the Andrews’ car and its windscreen.

In April last year, the Herald Sun revealed an Ambulance Victoria report detailed how the Andrews’ SUV “struck” Ryan while “travelling at 40 to 60kmph”.

Last month, the Herald Sun revealed police documents showed Mr Andrews did not call triple-0 until 1.10pm on January 7, 2013, with the crash estimated to have happened at 1.06pm – four minutes earlier.

There are also questions surrounding the police response to the accident, including why officers failed to use breathalysers and why Mr Andrews was allowed to drive the unroadworthy vehicle from the scene.