No sign of braking where WA teen died

A WA Supreme Court trial has heard there were no signs of heavy braking or swerving at the scene of the collision that killed 14-year-old Elijah Doughty.

There was no sign of swerving or heavy braking on a muddy dirt track where a 14-year-old boy was hit by a man driving a high-powered ute, killing him almost instantly, a Perth court has heard.

The man accused of running over Elijah Doughty, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with manslaughter after the collision on the uneven track at Gribble Creek in Boulder, near Kalgoorlie, in August last year.

WA Police crash reconstruction expert Peter Price told the man's Supreme Court trial on Wednesday he examined the site several hours after the crash and did not see signs of swerving or heavy braking, but the man may have braked moderately using ABS technology and that would not be visible.

The man, who was aged 55 at the time, had arrived home the previous day to find two motorcycles had been stolen from his property and informed police, who he claims told him to look around Gribble Creek as it was a "dumping ground".

In his video-recorded police interview, which was shown on Tuesday, the man said he wasn't blaming the officer who told him to check the area, but he also asked "do you think it's good telling me to do that?".

Towards the end of the interview, the man appeared agitated, saying he paid his taxes and worked hard but had endured three break-ins at his property involving motorcycles, which weren't "worth it" if they were "what's bringing people into our life to steal and take off my kids".

The dump truck driver also said if he got bail he'd put up the "for sale" sign as the family's future in the town was "finished".

The man has elected not to give evidence and the jury is expected to begin deliberations on Thursday.


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world