Alawa fatal driver Peter Lynch makes last ditch attempt to downgrade charges
A young man who led police on a high-speed fatal chase through Darwin has claimed he was not ‘reckless’.
Police & Courts
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A man who led four cop cars on a 160km/h fatal chase through Darwin that led to the death of a woman, has made a last-ditch attempt to downgrade his charges.
Peter Lynch was due to be sentenced on Monday in the Supreme Court in Darwin for a fatal crash that killed the 36-year-old woman.
The 22-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, driving a vehicle in dangerous manner during a pursuit and recklessly endangering life during the fatal crash in Alawa.
Lynch was at the wheel of a black hatchback driving dangerously in the Darwin CBD on May 16, 2021.
The court has previously heard police attempted to get the vehicle to pull over but Lynch sped off.
Police did not pursue the car but officers continued to try and get the young man to pull over.
When an unmarked car caught up with him near the Rapid Creek shops he again sped off, cutting through two red lights and slamming into the side of another car.
A 36-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene, with the coroner investigating it as a death in police custody.
NT Courts have confirmed a date for her coronial inquest has not been set.
On Monday, Lynch’s lawyer Beth Wild said she was “surprised” her client had entered a plea for the recklessness driving charge.
Ms Wild said she had worked on the early stages of the case and understood the charge would be for negligence.
“There’s a high level of criminal negligence in this case, rather than evidence that he subjectively turned his mind to the death of the passenger in his car.”
However, Justice Stephen Southwood said it appeared to him “very clearly recklessness on the facts”.
“On the facts he’s got four police cars around him, one tailing him,” Justice Southwood said.
“At 160km/h he drives through an intersection, crashes into another vehicle.
“On the facts he must have understood who was in the car, the speed he was going and so on.”
Prosecutor Steve Ledek said the crown maintained it was a reckless manslaughter but any dispute would need to be resolved before sentence.
“I thought there was no ambiguity of that position,” Mr Ledek said.
“The difference between negligent and recklessness in the case of manslaughter was a fine splitting of hairs.”
Lynch’s matter was adjourned to Wednesday, November 9.
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