On 18 March 2023, Bhupinder Singh was driving his friend’s Ford Mustang at around 150 km/h on Adelaide’s North East road seconds before violently crashing into Christine Sandford’s car, killing the 40-year-old mother of two.
South Australia Police Sergeant Fulcher presented a collision reconstruction report revealing that Singh had been consistently speeding on a road with a 60 km/h speed limit.
He struck Christine's car who was exiting a service station at approximately 125–128 km/h.
"Christine Sandford's death was totally avoidable if only you had obeyed the speed limit," Judge Muscat said during sentencing.
Singh pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving soon after the trial began. Judge Paul Muscat revoked his bail, and he was remanded in custody.
Before sentencing, Singh's lawyer, Jordan D’Angelo, requested that his client be allowed to serve the sentence under house arrest, citing Singh's deep remorse and the religious and personal difficulties he faced in custody.
However his honour found, despite these difficulties, Singh would not be eligible to serve his sentence on home detention.
The sentence to be imposed must also not only punish you for your deliberate act of dangerous driving, but it must act as a strong deterrent to other motorists, young motorists like you, who are considering driving at the ridiculously dangerous speed you drove that night.Judge Muscat
Singh was sentenced to five years, two months and 21 days imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four years and two months.
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