Pregnant mum’s last words before ‘abhorrent’ death

A pregnant mum was on the phone to emergency services who heard her last words before she was fatally flung from a moving car.

A pregnant mum’s ‘poignant’ last words were telling an triple-0 operator “he’s going to drive off with me” before she was flung from her partner’s moving car and left dying on the road.

Helena Broadbent was flung from the back of William Wilson’s car in the Melbourne suburb of Keilor Downs on September 28, 2019.

She died in hospital after her daughter was delivered in an emergency C-section at 26 weeks.

The 38-year-old dad was jailed for 3½ years in the County Court of Victoria on Friday after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, possessing cannabis and failing to stop and render assistance.

William Wilson was jailed for his dangerous driving after his pregnant partner Helena Broadbent was flung from his moving car in September 2019. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

“Helena Broadbent died in tragic and wholly avoidable circumstances,” Judge Gerard Mullaly said in hissentencing.

Her death was easily avoided if Wilson’s anger and dangerous risk taking was managed on that day, the judge said.

Ms Broadbent was concerned about his “dangerous and selfish behaviour” behind the wheel as she was on the phone to triple-0, Judge Mullaly said.

The pregnant mum was in the car trying to free the children’s car safety seats after an argument with Wilson and was on the phone to triple 0.

“He’s going to drive off with me and I’m in the car,” the 32-year-old woman told the operator.

These “poignantly” were among her last recorded words, the judge said.

“You f***ing idiot,” she also yelled on the call.

Helena Broadbent was 32 and pregnant with her third daughter at the time of her death in 2019.

Ms Broadbent was thrown onto the road and seriously injured.

Wilson stopped the car briefly after the horrific incident but slammed the back door shut before he drove off and left the woman bleeding on the road.

Neighbours helped Ms Broadbent and she was rushed to hospital but did not survive.

In an emotional statement aired in court, her mother spoke about the “heinous crime”.

“He has destroyed my soul and crushed me,” she said.

Mourners at the funeral of Ms Broadbent, who died in 2019. Picture: Tony Gough

The baby girl delivered early “barely” survived as a result of the crime.

“We are so grateful she survived his abhorrent actions,” the woman said in the statement.

That her three grandchildren had to grow up without their mother caused her great distress and whatever sentence was handed down would never make up for the loss the family suffered, she told the court.

Wilson was arrested hours after the crash and told officers he went to Mt Macedon area to “refresh”.

Wilson apologised through his lawyer for his actions and the impact it has had on everyone.

He must serve at least two years and two months behind bars before he is eligible for parole and has already served 130 days.

Originally published as Pregnant mum’s last words before ‘abhorrent’ death