‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ Wife’s chilling warning before honeymoon death

A husband charged over the death of his wife in a golf buggy crash has recalled a chilling conversation with the 29-year-old before she died.

A husband charged over the death of his wife in a golf buggy crash has recalled a chilling conversation he had with her moments before she was killed.

Robbie Awad, 32, was celebrating his honeymoon with his wife Marina Hanna, 29, on Hamilton Island, in Queensland’s Whitsundays region just 10 days after their wedding, when the golf buggy they were travelling in tipped over on June 20, 2022.

Ms Hana went into cardiac arrest and died at the scene.

Mr Award, who was behind the wheel and was not injured, has pleaded guilty to three charges including not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone while driving.

Marina Hanna (right), died 10 days after he wedding. Picture: Facebook

On Thursday, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of driving without due care and attention causing death, during the first day of hearing at Proserpine Magistrates Court.

Taking to the witness stand, Mr Award said the couple had decided to leave the resort to get something to eat before the crash.

“We were leaving Qualia [resort] in the buggy, I was driving, I drove toward the exit of Qualia, I waited for the [gates] to open. We drove out of the gates at 5 or 4 km/h,” he said.

The 32-year-old told the court he pulled out his phone to look at directions, but his wife warned him to get off his phone.

“I was looking for directions on how to travel to the marina.”

“My wife said, ‘Get off your phone’. I said, ‘What is the worst that could happen? No worries,’ and I put the phone in my pocket.’”

Robbie Morgan (also goes by Robbie Awad), middle, arrives at Proserpine Court. Picture: Andrew Pattinson

Mr Award later noticed the buggy wasn’t working correctly and he decided to travel back to the resort.

He told the court the buggy started to slow down when it began travelling up a hill.

“I would estimate it was travelling less than walking speed. A very slow walk,” he said.

“’By the time I got to the top of the hill, it was barely moving.”

“[Once I got to the intersection] I could see it was very steep and I couldn’t see around the bend. I looked straight and saw there were no cars, the buggy was moving one metre every two seconds, so I drove the buggy into the flattest part.”

He claimed the buggy accelerated unexpectedly, as he was making the U-turn.

“As I was accelerating, I was moving the steering wheel, but because the buggy wasn’t moving, I ended up doing full turns, then I heard ‘vrrrroom’ and the buggy accelerated very quickly,” he said.

“I started to have the thought, ‘Oh, the buggy might tip over,’ but by the time I could have finished the thought, it had already tipped over.”

Mr Awad’s defence lawyer argued the “tragic accident” was caused by an issue with the battery in the golf buggy.

“It fell over and killed his poor wife and he was devastated — and still is,” he said, as per the ABC.

Marina Hanna died in an golf buggy accident on Hamilton Island. Picture: Facebook

Sergeant Pollard claimed there were no ‘flat areas’ and questioned why Mr Awad didn’t take his foot off the accelerator as the vehicle started to accelerate

“I didn’t have a chance. It went from almost stalling to rapid acceleration,” said Mr Awad.

Mr Pollard suggested Mr Awad could have stopped the buggy.

“I didn’t consider that option. I thought I could take it back and get a different buggy,” said Mr Awad.

Body cam footage

Footage from a police officer’s body-worn camera was earlier shown to court, detailing a conversation Mr Awad had with Senior Constable Ragan Dessiax inside his hotel room after the crash.

“I can’t believe she is dead. How the hell did that happen?” Mr Awad said in the footage.

“Even if it is low battery, it still shouldn’t do that,” Senior Constable Dessiax replied.

“The buggy wasn’t moving, I turned it around, but as we spun …” said Mr Award.

“Did you take a sharp hand?” Senior Constable Dessiax asked.

“I did take a sharp hand – 100 per cent I did – the thing wasn’t moving,” Mr Awad said.

“I accelerated, I had my foot down, because it wasn’t moving.”

The hearing is expected to last at least two days