Death crash mum hopes for change from fatal driver

A WOMAN whose daughter died in a suburban Hobart car crash says her heart went out to the man whose dangerous driving caused the crash.

Mary Hayward says she hopes Zach Muir-Bennett will change his ways during his prison sentence.

A WOMAN whose daughter died in a suburban Hobart car crash says her heart went out to the man whose dangerous driving caused the crash.

In the Supreme Court in Hobart on Wednesday, Zach James Muir-Bennett was sentenced to five years in prison after previously pleading guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Muir-Bennett killed Vanessa Hayward, 42, on June 22 last year when he was speeding through the streets of New Town, ignored a stop sign on Roope St and crashed into the car Ms Hayward was driving.

Vanessa Hayward.

Muir-Bennett, whose learner driver’s licence had been suspended, had the headlights on his car turned off.

The court heard he had a history of traffic, dishonesty and violence offences.

Speaking outside the court after the sentence was handed down, Ms Hayward’s mother, Mary Hayward said she hoped Muir-Bennett would change.

“Surely, if Vanessa has a legacy it would be to get him to stop in his tracks and think, ‘I’ve got to change something’,” Mrs Hayward said.

“[At] 25 he’s got the rest of his life ahead. He can choose to go down one path or choose to go down another and fingers crossed he might take the better option.

“He really did look so saddened and so sorry and my heart went out to him. I don’t know what it’d be like to face a prison sentence and so I feel sorry for him from that point of view.”

Mrs Hayward said Vanessa was a fun and intelligent woman.

“But more than that, she was empathetic. She would have forgiven him, she would have felt sorry for him.

“Her brother doesn’t want to see a great prison sentence, none of us want retribution and punishment. We just want change.”

When he sentenced Muir-Bennett, Acting Justice David Porter said Muir-Bennett had pending dangerous driving and evading police charges at the time he crashed into Ms Hayward’s car, and he was not licensed to drive.

Acting Justice Porter said Muir-Bennett also had a history of traffic, dishonesty and violence offences.

“A cycle of imprisonment, release and reoffending has been entrenched,” he said.

“It shows this was not uncharacteristic behaviour and it’s done in spite of previous sanctions.”

He said to Muir-Bennett: “Your driving on that evening was extremely dangerous ... you had no regard whatsoever for the safety of others and completely abandoned the scene.”

Muir-Bennett was subject to two months of a suspended sentence at the time of the crash, which Acting Justice Porter activated.

He said Muir-Bennett would be eligible to apply for parole after serving three years and nine months of his sentence.

He also disqualified Muir-Bennett from driving for four years after he is released from prison.

Vanessa Hayward died at the scene of the crash from internal injuries.

There were two male passengers in her car, one of whom suffered two broken ribs and a back injury.

Acting Justice Porter said that man also needed psychiatric help after the crash.