Gladstone’s Suny Platen jailed over Port Alma fatal boating crash which took life of Jed Farraway

Cruel parallels about the agony a fatal boat crash victim’s family endured while watching the man responsible live out the milestones and adventures of which their beloved young son and brother was robbed, have been laid bare. *Distressing

Suny Shane Platen jailed for dangerous operation of a vessel causing the death of popular avid fisherman Jed Farraway.

Jed Farraway’s family hadn’t even had the chance to farewell him at a funeral when the man responsible for his death appeared boastful on social media about his good fortunes in life, signing himself up for fast-paced action at a Speedway event and even winning a boat at a fishing competition, beer in hand.

These cruel parallels were highlighted by the popular young fisherman’s loved ones who said Suny Shane Platen’s seemingly heartless actions caused them more pain knowing Jed would never get to enjoy his own passions ever again.

Platen, 32, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court this week to one count of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death.

He’d drank a carton of beer hours before operating the boat which hit an 8.7m marker near Port Alma on April 3, 2022, killing Jed – a 28-year-old who had 15,000 followers on Instagram where he regularly posted of his adventures fishing, boar hunting and other outdoor fun.

Jed’s sister Sandi and her husband, Mick, carried long-sleeved fishing T-shirts featuring photographs of Jed fishing, to court for Platen’s sentencing, joined by parents Leith and Gavin Farraway.

Bravely standing up to read out her harrowing victim impact statement, Sandi said her parents went to visit Platen after the crash, upon hearing he was “supposedly so wracked with grief and guilt that he was suicidal”, which the family told the court was “entirely unfounded and fake”.

Avid fisherman Jed Farraway tragically died in a boating incident at Port Alma.

“My mother had lost her son only 48 hours prior and her thoughts on that day were about sparing your parents the agonising, world-shattering pain that she and Gavin now endure every single day, she said.

“It was Gavin who pulled Jed from the water that day.

“He held his son and told him we love him.

“Gavin had to pull his son’s lifeless body from the water – something he will endure for the rest of his life.

“That is forever the last moment, the last memory he has of his son because of you.

“He had to somehow find the courage to call his wife, my mother, knowing it would break her heart having to tell her Jed would not be coming home.”

Sandi said her family were in disbelief and disgusted when they learned of Platen’s drunk driving record and discovered a news article about one of his convictions headlined “10 can crabber”, reflecting Platen’s confessions to police he had consumed 10 beers before and during a solo boat trip to check on crab pots.

She said Platen’s repeat drink driving was a mockery of the law and this was exacerbated after Platen posted his “extra-curricular activities” on social media in the “days, weeks and months” after Jed’s death including nominating for a Speedway event 10 days after the crash.

“Four weeks later, in May 2022, he went to the Boyne Tannum Hook Up fishing event with family and friends – a heartless action causing our family more pain knowing Jed’s passion for fishing and the reality that Jed will never enjoy doing it again,” she said.

“You posed for photos of which you were in front of the boat you had just won, smiling with two beers in hand and thumbs up in the other.

“And this is what you were doing on one of the many nights where I was desperately trying to console my heartbroken mother who was actually struggling with suicidal thoughts.”

Jed’s mother, Sandy said, was in “relentless pain”, with a daily nightmare, crying herself to sleep and “wakes up in a world now empty of her little boy”.

“In August 2022, you went to the Weipa Rodeo for your birthday, again, beer in hand smiling with three others captioned ‘big night’.

“Just days later, it was Jed’s birthday.

Crews search for missing fisherman Jed Farraway at Port Alma. Photo – Steve Vit

“The first of many which our family must endure without Jed to celebrate with.

“On the day we placed Jed’s plaque, October 28, 2022, (Platen) was standing on the veranda of the Diggers Arms Hotel as we drove past.

“Again, like some inescapable pain-causing parasite, there you were laughing and drinking, not a care in the world.

“Had you bothered to stay in touch to offer support, you would have been aware of all these things.

“You even unfriended and unfollowed Jed on his social media accounts in just a few short weeks.

“Our first Christmas without Jed was again another slap in the faced with a public post of you and your family, laughing.”

Calling on the court to impose a prison sentence, Sandi said “time in jail would not only interrupt, but put an abrupt end to his busy social life and give him nothing but time to have to sit and reflect on the consequences of his actions”.

A search was carried out for Jed before he was found by his body was discovered by his own dad.

She also told the court how Platen “liked” a Facebook post published by The Gladstone Observer about being charged over the crash that killed Jed, said he had shown her family “zero accountability, zero remorse, zero empathy” and instead that he was “antagonistic” and “downright sadistic and callous”.

“You (Platen) are a coward and a gutless wonder,” she said.

“You have robbed me of my brother.

“And yet instead of showing remorse and shame, you have had the audacity to smirk and smile at me not once but at two separate court mentions and today I intend to wipe that smile off your face.

“You are a thief, a killer of happiness, laughter, joy and of life.

“Your actions have caused our family insurmountable pain.

“You have stolen our sun, our light and instead shredded our family in darkness.

“You robbed my little brother of his hopes and dreams.

“And pain and anguish has pervaded our families’ laughter happiness and our everyday lives.

“Our hearts are forever broken with an empty Jed shaped hole, again, due to your actions.

“Jed has been robbed of at least 50 years of life.

“Jed has been robbed of ever celebrating his wedding day, as have we.

“Jed has been robbed of one day holding his children in his arms, as have we, and amongst countless other experiences.

Sandi said irrespective of whatever sentence the court imposed, “none of it will ever give the life stolen from my brother back to him.

“Jed is irreplaceable and enough is enough.”

‘DEPLORABLE DRINK DRIVING RECORD’

Platen already had a “deplorable” drink driving record when he made the decision to consume half a carton a beer the night before crashing the dinghy which was also carrying Morgan Josef Sims and Boyden Ian Douglas Mason.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said Platen, whose blood-alcohol content was tested at 10.39am and recorded .039, had drunk the beer and had three hours sleep prior to the crash, drinking another four Great Northern Super Crisps during the time on the water.

“The conditions were unremarkable,” she said.

“The weather that day was fine and there were wind speeds of nine and 17 kilometres per hour and the tide was at a medium depth.”

Jed was seated on the other side of the engine at the back of the dinghy with Platen, who has never held a boat licence, while Mr Sims, 25, and Mr Mason, 29, sat on the bench at the front of the vessel.

They had been on the water for about an hour as Platen drove dangerously for 15km from Port Alma to the mouth of the Fitzroy River back to Port Alma, around the headland of Casuarina Island.

Ms Lawrence said none of the men were wearing life jackets.

Three were found in the boat after the crash, along with cans of Super Crisps, Great Northern original and cans of Bundaberg Rum and coke.

She said Mr Sims had turned around to look at Balaclava Island moments before he turned back to face forward and saw the marker about four metres in front of them.

Suny Shane Platen was allegedly not appropriately licensed when he unsafely operated a vessel on April 3, 2022, at Port Alma, causing the death of Jed Henry John Farraway and grievous bodily harm to Morgan Josef Sims and Boyden Ian Douglas Mason.

Judge Jeff Clarke said photographs provided to the court showed the marker was “quite a large and obvious structure in the water”.

“He yelled out ‘Oi’, but it was too late,” Ms Lawrence said.

Jed was thrown headfirst into the marker while Mr Sims was thrown from his seat and hit the storage on the bow of the boat.

“That blow rendered Jed unconscious and caused him to drown,” Ms Lawrence said.

Platen and Mr Mason were flung from the boat, into the water.

Mr Mason needed help getting back into the dinghy having sustained a laceration, a mild lung contusion and multiple fractures.

Mr Sims suffered a perforated bladder and several fractures to his legs for which he required surgery.

Platen suffered muscle damage to his chest and a gouge to his leg.

The trio searched for Jed for 15 minutes, while also calling for help from emergency services, before returning to shore for medical help.

Jed’s body was found by his father, Gavin, about 5pm that day and it was he who then hauled his body out of the water.

Ms Lawrence said Platen minimised his responsibility when he initially spoke with police, calling it a “freak accident”.

Sandi, when reading out her victim impact statement in court, said what Platen did that day was “no accident”.

“A mistake made more than once is no longer a mistake – it’s a choice,” she said.

Jed was only 28 when he died.

“You and you alone are responsible for robbing us of our Jed as it was your choices and your actions which killed my little brother.

“You were solely responsible for the safety and wellbeing of three other families’ sons who you invited fishing on your boat that day.”

Ms Lawrence said a doctor’s report provided to the court regarding Platen’s psychological diagnose post traumatic stress disorder with alcohol dependence and likely attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, showed that despite being offered treatment, Platen’s anti social behaviour remains unaddressed and he “plainly is in need of supervision”.

She said he had been offered antidepressant medication, which he refused, and the doctor suggested the ADHD may have increased the likelihood of his alcohol abuse which had been a problem for Platen for sometime.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Platen had been prescribed Ritalin, which is normally prescribed for ADHD, “but instead took up boxing”.

Platen was convicted of low range drink driving in 2014, 2015 and 2015, plus mid to high range in 2018.

Ms Lawrence said the 2016 drink driving was most relevant to the Port Alma crash as Platen had been on a boat crabbing prior to the 2016 offence where he had a BAC of .82.

Jed Farraway had 15,000 followers on his Instagram fishing page.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Platen’s criminal record also contained convictions for anti-social behaviour attributed to alcohol misuse — that included urinating in public, assaulting and obstructing police while near or in licensed premises and adversely intoxicated, along with convictions for assault occasioning bodily harm in 2013 and 2015 with a banning order from a safe night precinct.

He said none of the penalties imposed had deterred Platen from offending or motivated him to change his behaviour

Platen has continued to commit offences post Port Alma including failing to stop and speeding more than 11kms per hour but under 20km of the speed limit.

He also had his road drivers licence suspended for non-payment of fines.

Platen, who sat with his arms crossed as Sandi read out her victim impact statement, had about a dozen supporters in court.

Defence barrister Harvey Walters handed up six character references to Judge Clarke, including one each for Mr Sims and Mr Mason.

He said people were not legally required to wear life jackets while on a boat.

Suny Platen’s drink driving history was laid bare in court.

Judge Clarke said the water was an “inherently dangerous environment in itself” and life jackets “may have averted this tragedy”.

Mr Walters said Platen attended Mt Larcom State School until part way through Year 6, then Kin Kora State School until the end of Year 7, then Gladstone State High School until Year 10.

He said Platen had worked at Clinton Auto Care, then as a roof tiler, plastering for two years, professional fisherman for two years, furnace work for six months, shutdown work for Downers and UGL in Queensland and New South Wales, and prior to sentencing, maintenance work at QAL.

“What you did here was objectively serious and a bad example of this type of offence,” Judge Clarke said.

“This was a protracted example of dangerous driving.

“Your conduct posed a real risk of harm to all of the men in the boat.

“It was potentially dangerous, perilous, hazardous and inherently unsafe.”

He sentenced Platen to four years prison with parole eligibility from August 8, 2025.

Judge Clarke also disqualified him from driving on roads for three years and ordered an absolute disqualification from holding a marine licence. 

Originally published as Gladstone’s Suny Platen jailed over Port Alma fatal boating crash which took life of Jed Farraway