Bruce Highway fatal crash: Graham Anthony Hanson jailed 11 years for manslaughter

The screams of a 12-year-old boy rang out across the scene of a horror Bruce Highway crash as he realised his twin brother had been killed in the collision caused by a drink-driver who had knocked back more than a dozen beers. Warning: Distressing

Stirling Edwards-Bland, 12, was killed in a head-on Bruce Highway crash at Gregory River in the Whitsunday region on May 1, 2022. Driver of the other vehicle Graham Anthony Hanson was jailed for his manslaughter.

The anguished screams of a 12-year-old boy rang across the scene of a terrible Bruce Highway crash as he realised his twin brother had been killed in the “extremely violent” head-on collision.

Witnesses heard Austin Edwards-Bland saying “Stirling is dead, he has a broken neck, my life is over” as he was trapped in the back seat of a crumpled Toyota Rav 4 next to his lifeless sibling.

The serial drink-driver of the Nissan Patrol that caused the crash on May 1, 2022 had knocked back between 12 and 14 heavy beers over three hours while behind the wheel on a road trip between Townsville and Midge Point.

Now Graham Anthony Hanson will spend at least 8.8 years of an 11 year jail term behind bars for manslaughter, over his “selfish actions” in deliberately driving while more than four times the legal alcohol limit.

Mackay Supreme Court heard shocking details how Hanson, then 45, had sold a quad bike to someone at Midge Point and was dropping it off when he stopped in Bowen at 3.28pm and bought a carton of heavy strength beer for $62.99, with the intention of drinking them on the drive.

Austin and Stirling Edwards-Bland were in the back of their mother’s Rav4 when it and a Nissan Patrol crashed on the Bruce Highway at Gregory River on May 1, 2022. Photo Inge Hansen / Whitsunday Times.

About an hour later his vehicle was seen driving dangerously in roadworks including overtaking over solid white lines, drifting between lanes, tailgating another car and performing dangerous manoeuvres that nearly resulted in a head-on collision with a 4WD towing a trailer.

“Seems it was only a matter of time before someone was killed by your actions,” Justice Graeme Crow said.

‘There was nothing that they could to’

He reached Midge Point where he dropped off the quad bike for which he was paid $3000 and left between 5.40 and 5.50pm to return north.

The court heard he stopped a number of times but ultimately continued driving as his blood alcohol level climbed.

All the while the two brothers had been travelling back from a swimming competition in Townsville, with their mum Tracy Edwards-Bland at the wheel – all three were wearing seat belts.

The two vehicles crossed paths at Gregory River.

Hanson had his Patrol’s spotlights on blinding other drivers and as a result Mrs Edwards-Bland tried flashing her lights at him to alert him to this as she slowed her speed.

Then Hanson cut across the oncoming traffic lane directly in front of the Rav 4 in an attempt to enter a rest area.

“There was nothing that they could do to avoid (him),” Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said.

The wreckage left after a head-on crash on the Bruce Highway at Gregory River on May 1, 2022. Picture: 7 News Mackay

Stirling had been sitting on the passenger side of the vehicle, which had sustained the most damage.

“His injuries were catastrophic,” Ms Lawrence said. He died at the scene.

His brother was immediately aware of this fact and his distressed calls were heard by witnesses at the scene as well as in the background of triple-0 calls to emergency services.

The court heard Hanson “told one of the witnesses he didn’t know what happened” and had thought the car was flashing him because there were police ahead.

He expressed concern about the $3000 in his car, his phone and that his Patrol was a wreck.

He lied when paramedics asked if he had drunk alcohol claiming he only had two beers when leaving Midge Point.
While on the way to Proserpine Hospital officers asked about his pain levels and Hanson said, “If I think of boobies it makes the pain better.”

The scene of a horror crash at Gregory River on May 1, 2002, that claimed the life of a young boy and seriously injured a 12-year-old. Picture: RACQ CQ Rescue Service

The court heard Hanson’s blood alcohol concentrate when tested was 0.210 per cent, while a forensic officer calculated at the time of the crash it could have been anywhere between 0.240 and 0.3 per cent.

Ms Lawrence said Hanson had drunk drove an “unconscionable” 136.6km and that his “deliberate, protracted and heinous conduct … took the life of an innocent 12yo”.

‘Austin has lost his best friend’

Stirling’s parents Simon and Tracy wrote a victim impact statement which Mr Edwards-Bland read to the court describing his son as “a shining light in our lives”.

“We miss his bouncing energy, cheeky smile and words of I love you before he went to bed at night,” Mr Edwards-Bland said.

“Austin has lost his best friend and the person who knew him best.”

Stirling loved animals and had aspirations of becoming a vet.

“He always had a smile for someone who was having a bad day,” Mr Edwards-Bland said.

Simon and Tracy Edwards- Bland with Austin, Stirling and their sister Arwen. Photo Inge Hansen / Whitsunday Times.

He told the court he never would have believed something like this “would destroy the lives of our beautiful family”.

The court heard both Tracy and Austin suffer survivors guilt over receiving such minor physical injuries while Stirling lost his life.

His son’s knowledge that his brother was dead next to him in the back seat of the car “is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life and isn’t something that any 12 year old should have to deal with,” he said.

So much so Austin no longer wanted to swim competitively, Mr Edwards-Bland said, “because he blames his attendance at this carnival on what’s happened”.

Stirling’s older sister and two friends also wrote victim impact statements, which were not read out.

‘Words aren’t going to make any difference’

The court heard there were two things in Hanson’s favour: the fact he entered an early plea of guilty to manslaughter and that he admitted to being the driver of the vehicle.

However he had a criminal history across three states that included five entries for drink-driving.

Justice Crow accepted the last entry was in 2013.

Hanson, now 46, was granted permission to speak to the court saying, “I know that words aren’t going to make any difference really, what I’ve done and what I’ve caused.”

He apologised to Stirling’s family, friends and the emergency crews called to the scene.

Twins Stirling and Austin Edwards-Bland, 12, with their sister Arwen and parents Tracy and Simon. Tracy and Austin were injured in a Bruce Highway crash at Gregory River that claimed Stirling's life on May 1. Picture: Facebook

“There’s nothing I can do to change it, there’s only things I can do to change myself and unfortunately it’s taken this to really drive home the message.

“I can’t imagine their grief, what they’re going through.”

Barrister Darin Honchin, for Hanson, was pushing for between eight and 9.5 years jail as it would allow for a longer period of supervision for his client.

Mr Honchin also argued an offender who pleaded guilty must receive appropriate recognition.

Justice Crow was handed 19 photos of the crash scene, including one showing text messages on Austin’s phone from his father and sister who were worried when they hadn’t arrived home.

He said the images revealed a “high-speed, extremely violent collision” where both cars were wrecked.

Justice Crow said Hanson’s “disgraceful” comments after the crash, if sober, would have been “extremely callous” but he accepted he had been very drunk at the time and had a “lifelong problem with alcohol”.

“There’s little you can do, no one can bring this child back to life,” Justice Crow said, regarding Hanson’s apology but accepted he had shown some remorse.

Hanson was jailed for 11 years, which automatically enacts a serious violent offender declaration meaning he must serve 80 per cent of the term, and disqualified from driving absolutely.

Originally published as Bruce Highway fatal crash: Graham Anthony Hanson jailed 11 years for manslaughter