Man accused of trying to shield brother from crash investigation found guilty by jury

A MAN accused of pressuring his cousin into not talking to police investigating a serious car crash his brother was involved in has been found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Troy Turner, 32, has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court to attempting to pervert the course of justice. Picture: Che Chorley

A MAN accused of pressuring his cousin into not talking to police investigating a serious car crash his brother was involved in has been found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Troy Turner, 32, pleaded not guilty and faced the first day of his trial in the Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday, following the crash on the Stuart Highway in November 2018.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Everitt told the jury Turner messaged his cousin Jermaine Rickard-Young — who was in the car at the time of the crash — telling him the police were charging Turner’s brother, Brandon, over it.

“I expect you will hear the accused then told Mr Rickard-Young that police were using his statements as evidence against Brandon,” she said.

“Then came the jab — he told Jermaine to withdraw his statements, that they could put Brandon away for a few years.”

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Ms Everitt said when Mr Rickard-Young said he was yet to provide a statement, Turner told him “he had the right to remain silent”.

She said Mr Rickard-Young told his father what Turner had said and he “wasn’t pleased about it”.

“He contacted the accused and told him not to tell the boys (who were in the car) to drop the charges,” she said.

“He’ll tell you that the accused responded to him and said, in part, that if this matter goes to court, the accused would do his best to see that all of the boys go down for it.

“The Crown says that what the accused meant was if the boys, being the passengers, assisted the authorities in the prosecution of his brother he would do his best to make sure they were prosecuted as well.”

Ms Everitt said the message to Mr Rickard-Young’s father made it “very clear what the accused’s intention was in sending the earlier message”.

“He knew that Jermaine Rickard-Young and the other passengers had evidence to give and that he was willing to do certain things to ensure the his brother wasn’t prosecuted for his role as the driver in that accident,” she said.

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The jury retired to deliberate about midday on Wednesday and returned a guilty verdict at 3pm the same day.

Brandon Young-Turner pleaded guilty in October 2019 to driving dangerously and causing serious harm to three people — two of whom ended up in intensive care — and put two people in danger of serious harm.

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