Teen was on suspended sentence for attempted rape when he caused fatal crash, court hears

A TEENAGER who caused a crash that killed a woman and seriously injured two men in Livingstone last year was serving a suspended sentence for attempted rape at the time, a court has heard

Martin Shields has pleaded guilty to driving dangerously and causing the death of a 30-year-old woman last year

A TEENAGER who caused a crash that killed a woman and seriously injured two men in Livingstone last year was serving a suspended sentence for attempted rape at the time, a court has heard.

Martin Shields, 18, sat in the dock of Darwin Supreme Court with his head bowed after pleading guilty to driving dangerously causing the death of a 30-year-old woman, and causing serious harm to two men aged 23 and 19.

The court heard on January 24 last year, Shields was driving an SUV with four passengers – including a pregnant woman – while highly intoxicated.

Leading up to the crash, Shields had been speeding and swerving on to the wrong side of the road, prompting his passengers to tell him to slow down and stop driving.

He began driving on the Stuart Highway towards Katherine when one of his passengers tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn around before the car left the road, spun out, rolled and landed on its roof on top of a metal pipe.

The 30-year-old woman suffered blunt force head and chest injuries and died at the scene.

The two male victims each suffered a number of serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and spinal fractures.

The pregnant woman, who was the only one wearing a seatbelt, wasn’t seriously injured.

Around three hours after the accident, Shields recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.112.

Crown Prosecutor Matt Nathan SC told the court Shields had only been released from prison about two months before the crash on a suspended sentence for attempted rape.

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“By far the most significant aspect of these proceedings is that the offence was committed while the accused was on a suspended sentence opposed by this court on the 30th of November 2018,” he said.

Mr Nathan also said Shields had already breached the orders of his suspended sentence four separate times before the crash by consuming alcohol.

Shields will return to court on February 18 for sentencing.