Teen hit-and-run accused set to be released on bail as he prepares to fight the charge in court

A teenager accused of hitting a woman with his car at more than 160km/h before leaving her for dead on the side of the road is fighting the charge and will likely be released on bail by the end of the week, a court has heard.

NT Police major crash investigators on scene where the woman was killed in 2018.

A TEENAGER accused of hitting a woman with his car at more than 160km/h before leaving her for dead on the side of the road is fighting the charge and will likely be released on bail by the end of the week, a court has heard.

Jack West, now aged 20, faced the Supreme Court charged with hit-and-run driving causing death following the incident outside Humpty Doo on Territory Day 2018.

In making the bail application this week, his lawyer Marty Aust, told the court West would be contesting the “very defendable case” at trial, citing a report “stating that the cause was the action of the deceased”.

“The charge is defended and there are strong prospects of beating the charge,” he said.

“There’s a lot of material that will come down to matters of fact for the jury but it’s certainly not what might be called an overwhelming Crown case whatsoever.”

FREE subscription: Stay informed during the coronavirus crisis

Mr Aust said his client had not originally intended to apply for bail but that had changed after coronavirus restrictions made prison life more onerous through a lack of visitors and increase lockdowns.

Mr Aust said as an Aboriginal man in a confined environment, West was at increased risk from the infection and new rules on going out in public improved the chances of him complying with his bail conditions if released.

“We are all, each of us, facing uncertain and unprecedented times — now certainly this man’s not going to be going to (the pub) even if he was tempted to,” he said.

“Many of the temptations that existed in the world that Mr West knew … don’t currently exist.”

In response, Crown prosecutor Matt Nathan said the fact West’s trial, originally scheduled for May, had been delayed by the suspension of jury trials due to coronavirus had to be balanced against the seriousness of the alleged offending.

He said West had a history of noncompliance with court orders, including bail conditions and the risk of it happening again was not mitigated by “the sobering circumstances of the COVID-19 virus”.

“If court orders were insufficient, knowing the risk of a deprivation of liberty on his part through noncompliance, to ensure compliance, the nebulous threat of a potential COVID-19 impact on this person’s life I think is remote at best,” he said.

COURT

• Darwin Correctional Centre boss grilled over prison COVID-19 plan
• NT Legal Aid staffer to be tested for coronavirus after sharing plane with positive case
• ‘Absurdly obvious’ teen drug dealer handed a suspended sentence

In ordering a bail assessment report be prepared, Chief Justice Michael Grant said while there was a “real and substantial risk” of West breaching his bail, it could be “adequately ameliorated by the imposition of appropriate conditions”.

“That risk is also suppressed, to some extent, in the current circumstances by the forced closure of licenced premises and the increased restrictions on social interactions,” he said.

West will return to court on Friday.