Bence Szabo jailed for 200km/h pursuit, appeals sentence, keeps licence

THE son of a prominent Darwin medical specialist, caught evading police at more than 200km/h in his dad’s car, will keep his driver’s licence, a court has heard

Bence Szabo will appeal his two-month jail sentence but keep his driver’s licence, a court has heard

THE son of a prominent Darwin medical specialist caught evading police at more than 200km/h in his dad’s car will appeal his two-month jail sentence and keep his driver’s licence, a court has heard.

Bence Szabo, 21, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court on Thursday to dangerous driving and conduct endangering life after speeding past three police cars and through a red light in the July 2017 pursuit.

The court heard Szabo — who’s father is Royal Darwin Hospital haematology director Ferenc Szabo — had four other people in the V8 Commodore when he blew past police on the Stuart Hwy just before midnight on July 14.

When the officers gave chase, Szabo ran the red light at the intersection with Amy Johnston Ave before switching off the car’s headlights and eventually reaching speeds or more than 215km/h.

Police called off the chase after it became too dangerous and Szabo then passed a second patrol car outside the Winnellie post office, still “at great speed” and without lights.

He was still travelling at up to 180km/h when he “braked hard” in an attempt to turn left onto Snell St, lost traction and skidded across the road “directly towards” a third police car which had to take evasive action to narrowly avoid being hit.

Defence counsel, Colin McDonald QC, argued his client’s sentence should be wholly suspended or served on home detention but Justice Judith Kelly said she had “real problems” with that.

Justice Kelly said Szabo sounded “blasé” rather than remorseful in his police interview and had displayed a “quite concerning” attitude to past speeding fines.

“You expressed the view that, far from you being at fault, the police ought to have exercised their discretion not to give you so many tickets,” she said.

“It’s an appalling attitude and you need to mend it.”

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In suspending Szabo’s three-year sentence after two months, Justice Kelly said it was one of the most serious offences of its kind she had ever come across and letting Szabo return to his “probably luxurious” family home would do nothing to deter others from similar offending.

“They’re not going to think twice if I send this young man home to the bosom of his family where he will have his cooking and washing and ironing done for him and his comfortable bedroom and his video games and his friends coming around after work and on the weekends,” she said.

But in electing to allow Szabo to keep his licence, Justice Kelly said she did not think it appropriate to exercise her discretion in disqualifying him from driving as he needed his licence for work.

Mr McDonald said Szabo would appeal the sentence and he will return to court for a bail hearing on Monday.