Court hears different accounts of tragic accident that led to death of a young footballer

Rumours swirled when a young man died shortly after an incident at his football club. A court has heard differing accounts from a father and his son about what happened days before his death.

Brady Hubbard (middle). Picture: Facebook

A Father and Son have given differing accounts in court of the night a young footballer was seriously injured just days before his death.

A coronial inquest into the death of 21-year-old Brady Hubbard heard Cameron Hilfenhaus and his father, Andrew give different statements to what had occurred on the night of June 24, 2023.

Mr Hubbard died on June 28, 2023 at the Royal Hobart Hospital after being seriously injured on the 24th.

At the time, police said they believed he may have fallen from the rear of a vehicle.

Three men who were present on the night of the injury and were later expelled from the club due to the “talk” around what happened on the night have faced court, giving differing accounts of the accident.

Tributes are flowing for Ulverstone man Brady Hubbard, 21, who died on Wednesday after suffering a serious head injury. Pictures: Facebook

According to Cameron Hilfenhaus, Andrew Hilfenhaus was driving his ute on private land from the West Ulverstone Football Club to his unit in order to retrieve a pool cue.

Cameron said he and Mr Hubbard were on the back of the ute, which had a canopy over the tray, hanging onto the roof rack and standing on a step while they made the 20 m trip to Andrew’s home.

Cameron initially told police he and Mr Hubbard were “walking close to the grass, with one foot on the grass and one on the road” walking, when “all of a sudden Brady slipped”.

The court heard Cameron had told other members of the football club Mr Hubbard had fallen off the back of a ute.

“Why would you say that,” Counsel assisting the coroner questioned.

“That’s what I thought happened,” Cameron answered.

The counsel suggested that as Cameron was with Mr Hubbard at the time of the potential injury, he was best placed to know what had happened to him. He agreed.

Cameron told the court Mr Hubbard fell off the ute prior to Andrew doing “fishtails” or burnouts on grass while returning to the club.

Tributes are flowing for Ulverstone man Brady Hubbard, 21, who died on Wednesday after suffering a serious head injury. Pictures: Facebook

His father Andrew told the court both Cameron and Mr Hubbard had already gotten off the back of the ute when the fishtails occurred.

“They jumped off, I stopped, they started walking,” he said.

“I drove around the corner in the driveway and cause (sic) they weren’t on the back I got on the grass and tried to shower them with a bit of mud.”

Andrew said he then witnessed Mr Hubbard laying on the grass, but he was not aware of how he came to be on the ground.

The court heard Andrew had been telling people he was worried about being charged with manslaughter at the time.

Andrew said Mr Hubbard was “half out of it” and he was “trying to keep him awake” until trainer Anthony Sharman arrived at the scene.

“He was laying on his back on the road, I didn’t know what happened,”

Andrew was under a court mandated drug diversion program at the time, and his case manager has given evidence in the inquest.

The court heard Andrew gave statements including that Mr Hubbard had attempted suicide in the weeks prior, and that he got into a fight at the Greens Hotel.

Counsel said out of 34 witness statements in the inquest, Andrew’s is the only account with these events.

Tributes are flowing for Ulverstone man Brady Hubbard, 21, who died on Wednesday after suffering a serious head injury. Pictures: Facebook

She suggested he said those things to “shift blame” from himself. He said no.

Earlier, a West Ulverstone Football Club member told the court Mr Hubbard was “awesome” “funny” and a great person.

She said she didn’t see any injury occur during the game, but later at the clubhouse she witnessed Mr Hubbard “out of it” and being taken care of by Andrew and Cameron and trainer Anthony Sharman.

“They come in, all huddled in around Brady, cuddling him.”

She was told that he suffered a bump to the head during the game.

“I just believed what they said- I didn’t get time to watch the game,”

The court heard Mr Sharman, Cameron and Andrew all “quit” the football club the week of Mr Hubbard’s death.

All three men were repeatedly questioned as to why an ambulance wasn’t called on the night.

Mr Sharman said Mr Hubbard said no when they asked if he needed one.

“He didn’t want one therefore I can’t force him to go in an ambulance,”

Mr Sharman then told the court he felt disappointed in himself for not calling emergency services.

“I could’ve done more for Brady than I did, I should’ve rung the ambulance,” he said.

The inquest continues before magistrate Leigh Mackey.