Wayne Abdul Sultan jailed for the hit and run that killed Jason ‘Dickie’ McCormick on New Year’s Eve at Winnellie

A KILLER driver who led police on two dangerous high-speed chases after running over much-loved Winnellie Tavern regular Jason “Dickie” McCormick will serve up to four years and two months jail.

Wayne Abdul Sultan was driving this car along Winnellie Rd, Winnellie, when he hit and killed Jason “Dickie” McCormick. Picture: NT Police

A KILLER driver who led police on two dangerous high-speed chases after running over much-loved Winnellie Tavern regular Jason “Dickie” McCormick will serve up to four years and two months jail.

Wayne Abdul Sultan, a crim with a long history of violence, dangerous driving, drug offending and being involved in police chases, was sentenced to four years and two months jail with a two-and-a-half year non-parole period for a string of offences he committed between New Year’s Eve 2016 and January 3, 2017.

Jason McCormick was run over by Wayne Abdul Sultan

The Supreme Court yesterday heard Sultan, 36, should have been behind bars when he ran over Mr McCormick on a dark stretch of Winnellie Rd shortly before 10pm on New Year’s Eve, after his parole was revoked on December 15.

McCormick, who had been drinking with mates at the Winnellie Tavern, had been riding his bike home but fell into the road and was likely unconscious when Sultan drove into him.

The court heard Sultan, told his passenger, “I think I just hit the curb”.

His passenger responded, “No, I think you just hit a person”. A forensic analysis of the poorly lit crash scene showed a normal person would have been unable to stop before hitting Mr McCormick.

Justice Graham Hiley said Sultan’s conduct in the hit-and-run was particularly disturbing. “Although you were told three times that you had hit someone ... you tried to put the blame on (a bystander),” he said. “Your only attempt was to get away from the accident scene as quickly as possible to avoid getting caught,” he said. Justice Hiley said Mr McCormick’s family might suspect Sultan was drunk or on drugs at the time, but that there was no evidence that was the case. In a victim impact statement, Mr McCormick’s father, John, said the family was still coming to terms with his son’s death. “My children are all devastated at losing their brother,” he said. Members of Mr McCormick’s family became visibly emotional when Justice Hiley read from John’s statement, detailing the close relationship he shared with his brothers growing up.

Sultan, who reached speed of up to 160km/h during two police chases, tried to run down Sergeant Mark Bland during an attempted arrest.

Justice Hiley said Sultan had poor prospects of rehabilitation, and was likely to commit serious offences if released from jail too early.

Sultan will be eligible for parole October 2019.