Husband and wife Frank and Carmen Sant died after international driver Harjinder Singh T-boned their ute at a notorious Doonside intersection in August 2019.Singh, a 22-year-old Indian national, has pleaded guilty to driving at more than 100km/h – more than double the speed limit – through the intersection at Crawford Rd and Coveny St after returning from a food delivery shift.
Mrs Sant, 81, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Her husband, Frank, 83, was rushed to Westmead Hospital where he died the following afternoon.The Sant family rallied together at Parramatta District Court on Friday for a sentence hearing, where the court heard of the pain they had suffered since the crash.“I cannot come to terms with the defendant taking Mum and Dad away from us,” the couple’s son told the court in a victim impact statement.“It can never be fully expressed in words on paper.”
Singh was driving home after his shift as a food delivery driver for a kebab shop when he hit the Sants, causing their vehicle to spin out, mount a kerb and roll before it crashed through a fence.He has pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death alongside backup charges of negligent driving occasioning death and failing to give way.Judge Chris Craigie said deciding an appropriate sentence for Singh was “vexed” given the enormous impact on the Sant family and the nature of the offence.“These are always difficult and very challenging matters for a court to resolve,” Judge Craigie said.
“I will approach it with the attention it requires … taking into account the impact this tragedy has had on a very large number of people.”Judge Craigie took issue with a submission from the Crown prosecutor that Singh was a less competent driver due to him holding an Indian licence.“It cannot be said the same road rules are applicable in India as Australia,” the Crown said.“The offender did not go through the requisite training to obtain an Australian driver’s licence.”However, Judge Craigie deemed the case to be more an issue of Singh’s driving and less about his training.Singh will be sentenced in February 2021.
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