‘Brettson will never be coming home’: Father’s heartwrenching message
THE FATHER of a young boy who was killed after falling from a caravan has shared a heart-wrenching message
Police & Courts
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- Brettson Payne: Driver gets 12 months’ jail for fatal accident
- Court hears sister’s grief for Katherine boy killed in caravan fall in emotional plea hearing
THE father of a young boy who was killed after falling from a caravan has shared a heart-wrenching message following the sentencing of the man jailed over the accident.
Jonathan Igescu, 32, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years’ jail, suspended after 12 months, for the crash which killed eight-year-old Katherine boy Brettson Payne in June.
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Brettson’s father, Brett, made a Facebook post in tribute of his son yesterday, saying he and his family “miss him beyond words”.
“Today a man was jailed for the reckless death of my son Brettson,” the post said.
“Some my [sic] say the sentence was to light or to harsh, whatever – the fact remains that Brettson will never be coming home and there will be no more new memories with him.”
He said Brettson died because “someone could not say ‘no’ and be the unfun person”.
Igescu pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death for letting a number of kids – including Brettson – travel unrestrained in a caravan he was towing down the Stuart Highway at 70km/h.
Brettson died after he fell out the caravan door and on to the road while it was in motion.
“The most that we could have hoped for was that a clear message was sent to the greater public that some times you just have to say no,” Mr Payne said in the post.
“It might not be the fun thing but it is the right thing.
“I would ask everyone to think before doing things because what might seem fun at the time can result in tragedy.”
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Igescu also pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering life after he was seen driving at more than 70km/h on the Stuart Highway with another young child on the bonnet of his car the previous day.
In sentencing, Justice Judith Kelly referred to Igescu’s offending as “stupid”.
“It must have been obvious to you that driving at 60-70km/h down the highways with an eight-year-old child sitting on the bonnet of your car was an extremely dangerous thing to do,” she said.
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