Man faces grieving family after pleading guilty to negligent driving

A grieving family told a young driver how he tore their lives apart when he crashed his car into John Tscherkaskyj and killed him.

A grieving family told a young driver how he tore their lives apart when he crashed his car into John Tscherkaskyj and killed him.

Kobe Brenden McCauley faced the Hobart Magistrates Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to causing Mr Tscherkaskyj’s death by negligent driving on August 8, 2021.

On Tuesday he heard testimony from the man’s three children and widow, who broke down in tears while recounting the “hardest and cruellest day of my life”.

Kellie-Anne Jay said she can vividly remember having to explain to her 13 children that “daddy’s no longer with us”, and never would be again.

“Since the 8th of August my life has changed. I don’t know if I’m coming or going, what is right or wrong, what’s up or down, what’s left or wrong,” Ms Jay told the court.

“I’m so lost, angry, upset, confused and empty.”

Ms Jay said her younger children have never been the same since, and that they hate her going out in case she never comes back.

Kobe Brenden McCauley (left) with his defence lawyer. Picture: Kenji Sato

One of Mr Tscherkaskyj’s older daughters, Samantha, said her two daughters would grow up never knowing their granddad.

Samantha begged the courts to not let McCauley walk away with a “slap on the wrist” or a fine.

“I wish Kobe had the respect to at least apologise and own up to what he’s done … he made our lives a living hell, and the worst thing is he doesn’t even know us,” Samantha said.

“Kobe needs to be held responsible for what he has done, so please I beg that we get a bit of justice for the pain we have had to suffer.”

Her sister Amanda said she celebrated her first birthday without her dad this year, and that the experience “broke” her.

The 28-year-old told Mr McCauley that she could not fully describe the lasting “despair” that she felt as a result of his “revolting crime”.

“You were responsible for taking an innocent life who was trying to make a living to support his family,” she said.

“Because of what’s been taken from my family and me, I will never see a day where I could offer forgiveness.”

McCauley was due for sentencing on Tuesday, however his defence lawyer said they needed more time to receive his psychological report.

Magistrate Ms Marica Duvnjak adjourned the case for plea in mitigation on 23 September 2022.

McCauley has pleaded guilty to one count of causing the death of another person by negligent driving and one count of causing grievous bodily harm by negligent driving.

Mr Tscherkaskyj was a delivery driver for The Mercury.

Kobe Brenden McCauley (left) with his defence lawyer. Picture: Kenji Sato