Anthony Ramsay pleads guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury

A cyclist who was lucky to be alive after being mowed down by a disqualified driver has told a court of how even daily tasks left him drained and exhausted.

Anthony Ramsay pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving causing serious injury, failing to render assistance after a motor accident and a summary charge of dangerous driving. Picture: Alan Barber

A cyclist who was on his way to work when he was mowed down by a disqualified driver in a stolen car has told of the unending pain and trauma the incident has left him with.

Anthony William Ramsay, 37, fronted the County Koori Court at Geelong on Monday and pleaded guilty to charges including dangerous driving causing serious injury.

Crown prosecutor Anne-Marie Stephanides told the court Ramsay, who was disqualified from driving, stole a Kia Sportage from the Salvation Army’s Geelong headquarters at about 4.45am on September 20, 2023, before he was captured on CCTV weaving through traffic along Pakington St.

Meanwhile Ramsay’s victim, a 21-year-old man, left his home in Charlemont at 6.10am on his daily commute.

Ramsay had just overtaken a bus when he struck his victim from behind, sending the man flying into a parking sign.

The force of the impact caused the parking sign to bend and ripped the rear wheel and seat from the bike.

Ramsay did not stop, instead continuing to Thompson Rd, where he kept speeding through red lights.

Ramsay’s victim was placed in an induced coma at Geelong hospital, before being taken to Melbourne.

His life-threatening injuries included severe brain swelling, shattered bones in his left forearm and a fractured spine.

In a victim impact statement Ms Stephanides read to the court, the man said Ramsay’s “selfish and reckless decisions” had “changed (his) life forever”.

Following the incident, the man had to wear a back brace for weeks, which deeply affected his ability to complete day-to-day tasks.

He felt “unimaginable shame and embarrassment” at times, with even a shower leaving him “drained, exhausted and physically in pain”.

He also felt guilty over the impact on his fiance, and the scars on his body made him feel disgusted, his self-confidence replaced with repulsion.

His eyesight was damaged and nerve damage to his left arm and hand meant textures and even “strong winds” created discomfort.

“I will never have a normal life,” the man wrote. “I am lucky to be alive … (but) nothing will take away the pain and suffering.”

Ms Stephanides later revealed that the victim had become a father, however he worried his ability to parent was comprised due to the ongoing impact of the crash.

Following the victim impact statement, Ramsay left the dock and joined Judge Scott Johns, elders Uncle Wayne and Aunty Lyn, his fiancee and others at the bar table for a Koori sentencing discussion.

During the discussion, Ramsay described being unable to sleep at times since the incident.

He said listening to the victim describe the impact of the incident on the man’s relationship with his fiancee made him reflect on the impact of his actions on his own relationship.

The court heard Ramsay had been in and out of jail, spending less than 18 months in the community since May 2017.

He was also expecting a cancer diagnosis at a medical appointment in May.

The court heard Ramsay had been exposed to trauma in his childhood and showed “genuine contrition” and insight during the sentencing conversation.

However, Ms Stephanides said the offending had several “compounding” factors.

Ramsay will be sentenced on May 21.

Originally published as Anthony Ramsay pleads guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury