Anthony Ramsay jailed over near fatal Pakington St hit-run

A County Court judge has sentenced a drug-addled, unlicensed driver who was driving a stolen car when he nearly killed a cyclist on his way to work.

The County Court of Victoria. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

A drug-addled driver had a troubled life before he seriously injured a cyclist on a Geelong West street in 2023, a court has heard.

Anthony Ramsay, 37, appeared in the Koori County Court on Wednesday and was jailed by Judge Scott Johns for a maximum of three years, with a non-parole period of two years and two months, over the Geelong West hit-run.

The father of four appeared in court last month for a Koori court sentencing discussion and pleaded guilty to charges including dangerous driving causing serious injury.

The court heard Ramsay already had a lengthy criminal history when he collided with a cyclist at speed on Pakington St at before 7am on September 20, 2023, while erratically driving a stolen Kia Sportage.

Ramsay was unlicensed at the time and, by his own admission, was substance affected, having consumed ice and LSD prior to the incident.

In contrast, Judge Johns said, the victim was in a designated bicycle lane, wearing a high visibility top and had a working, flashing red light attached to his bike.

Following the collision, Ramsay drove off without rendering assistance and his victim, 21-year-old Lochie Read, was left severely injured.

Citing the victim’s impact statement, Judge Johns said the man was, understandably, still suffering physically and mentally with “constant reminders of the catastrophic collision”.

Judge Johns noted Ramsay’s open and “eloquent” participation in the sentencing conversation process.

The court heard while in custody, Ramsay had completed several drug addiction courses.

Turning to Ramsay’s personal circumstances, Judge Johns said Ramsay, who was raised in Geelong and Cairns, had endured a “desperately sad” childhood that was “lacking in many ways”.

“It was a childhood that shaped you and led you down the path of at times self-destructive and anti-social behaviours,” Judge Johns said.

Ramsay commenced using illicit substances at the age of 12, the court heard, and had throughout his life abused ice, heroin and LSD.

The court heard Ramsay also had a complex psychiatric history and had been diagnosed with a number of disorders and presented

Judge Johns said Ramsay’s underlying personality disorders to a degree explained, in combination with his drug use, the self-centredness, carelessness and recklessness of his driving during the incident.

The court heard Ramsay’s early guilty plea, delay in the matter being finalised and the real risk of institutionalisation were also factors in mitigation, as was the hardship he faced in custody with an expected cancer diagnosis in the near future.

Judge Johns said he was “guarded” about Ramsay’s prospects for rehabilitation, which was dependent on him remaining drug-free.

The court heard Ramsay had been found suitable “with reservations” for a community corrections order (CCO), which Ramsay hoped to be placed on as it would provide ongoing support in the community.

However Judge Johns concluded that a sentence involving a non-parole period was more appropriate to meet the sentencing purposes of general deterrence and denunciation.

Ramsay had 608 days in custody reckoned as time served and his driver’s licence was suspended for four years.

But for his plea, Judge Johns said he would have faced a maximum of four years in jail.

Originally published as Anthony Ramsay jailed over near fatal Pakington St hit-run