An unlicensed driver charged with killing two young boys when he lost control of his girlfriend’s car has been taken off to jail in handcuffs after not applying for bail.
Jacob Steven Donn, 25, was allegedly behind the wheel of a red Holden sedan when he mounted the gutter on Warne Street in Wellington, in central western NSW, killing brothers Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, instantly.
Donn faced Broken Hill Local Court on Thursday morning, appearing via an audio-visual link from the cells at Dubbo Police Station.
He is facing a total of 14 charges and made no application for bail before being taken away by correctional officers until next Tuesday – his next scheduled appearance at Dubbo Local Court.
Incredibly, just minutes after Donn was led away in a prison van, Joseph Shorey, the dad of the two boys killed in Tuesday evening’s accident, also walked out of Dubbo Police Station.
Mr Shorey had been inside the station discussing the case with detectives from the Crash Investigation Unit.
Jacob Steven Donn, 25, was allegedly behind the wheel of a red Holden sedan when he mounted the gutter on Warne Street in Wellington, in central western NSW, killing brothers Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, instantly
Donn faced Broken Hill Local Court on Thursday morning, appearing via an audio-visual link from the cells at Dubbo Police Station, before being taken away by correctional services officers
A NSW Corrective Services van takes Donn from the cells at Dubbo Police Station on Thursday
Joseph Shorey, whose two sons Sheldon, 6, and Shane, 7, were killed in Tuesday night’s crash, was also at Dubbo Police Station on Thursday to be briefed by detectives
The father of the two boys killed Shorey leaves Dubbo Police station after a meeting with detectives on Thursday afternoon
A day earlier he spoke at length about his ‘beautiful boys’ and urged drivers to take more care on the roads.
His plea came after claims Donn allegedly lost control of the red Holden while doing burnouts up and down Warne Street.
‘That is not cool, all you young fellas out there doing that, it’s not cool, because there are consequences if you do something stupid and wrong,’ Mr Shorey said.
‘Don’t drive around stupid, drive around smart. You want to do donuts go and join a race club and do them there. Don’t do them on the streets.
‘Sheldon’s only six, he’ll be seven next month on the 12th. Shane was only seven, he was turning eight on Friday… two more days.’
Mr Shorey had last seen his sons on Monday when they told him they loved him and would see him in just a few weeks upon their return to Queensland.
After being told about the crash by relatives in Wellington, he drove through the night so he could pay tribute to his two boys.
‘I only saw them the day before and they gave me big hugs and cuddles and said: “Dad, we love you, we’ll see you on the 17th”,’ Mr Shorey said.
‘Now I’ve lost my two youngest boys.
‘Sheldon was a little show off, always being like ‘look at me, look at me’, but he’s a little cutey, all the girls loved him.’
Sheldon (left), 6, and Shane Shorey (right), 7, were killed when an out-of-control car ploughed into them as they walked home from the local pool with their mother, brother and their friend on Tuesday afternoon
Donn was raised by his great-grandmother Dawn Donn (right), who told Daily Mail Australia the 25-year-old is devastated
Donn’s great-grandmother said he called her a number of times from the jail cells at Dubbo Police Station after the crash and said he wished he had died instead of the young boys (pictured, the pair at Mrs Donn’s 90th birthday in 2019)
Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, were killed instantly while walking home from the local pool in Wellington, near Dubbo, on Wednesday (pictured, left, at a Santa photo with their dad and siblings)
Police allege Donn was performing burnouts on Warne Street when he lost control, mounted the gutter and hit the group of five pedestrians
Donn grew up in Wellington and was raised by his great-grandmother Dawn, 91, who took him in when he was just a baby, as his mother – her granddaughter – was unable to care for him.
Just an hour before the crash Donn had visited his elderly great-grandmother and his great-aunt, driving his girlfriend’s car to their place despite never holding a licence.
Chillingly, a heartbroken Mrs Donn told Daily Mail Australia she urged him not to get behind the wheel as he left her place about 4pm.
From the cells at Dubbo Police Station he called his great-grandmother multiple times on Wednesday, and she said he told her he wished it was him that was dead – and not the two innocent young boys.
‘I’m devastated, I’m so sorry for those boys and Jacob is too. He loves kids,’ Mrs Donn said.
‘I’ve spoken to him on the phone, he’s rung me twice. He’s upset, he’s crying all the time.’
‘He was here yesterday about 3pm to 4.30pm… it was like normal, and when he came here yesterday we told him get out of the car, you should not be driving, but he didn’t listen.
‘He’s so sad. He is a kind loving boy, he’s only got us. I might not ever get to see him in this home ever again if he goes to jail.’
Wellington residents visit the scene in Warne St where two boys were mowed down and killed by a driver on Tuesday afternoon
A teddy bear and flowers at the scene of the Wellington tragedy after the two little boys lost their lives
The tragedy has shocked the tight-knit community in country New South Wales where locals flocked to the scene with balloons and teddy bears
Sheldon, 6, and Shane Shorey, 7, were killed instantly while walking home in Wellington, near Dubbo, from the local pool on Wednesday. Their mother Shayleen Frail, 34, was trapped up against a fence by the Holden, while a 10-year-old family friend had his leg ripped apart by the force of the terrible crash (pictured, with their father Joseph)
Donn had moved in with his great-grandparents when he was a baby and they were in their late-60s.
His mother was unable to look after him and his father was not on the scene, before he died a few years back.
Mrs Donn said he was a lovely and respectful young boy, who was named the school captain at Wellington Primary School.
He then joined the flock of locals who move over to Wellington High School but lost his love of studying and dropped out in Year 10.
After leaving school he struggled to find work and eventually moved out of his home with his great-grandparents and in with his girlfriend on Warne Street.
Just two years ago, Donn smiled and stood proudly next to his great-grandmother at a party for her 90th birthday.
‘As a boy he was wonderful, everybody in the town liked him, loved him even, he was always well mannered,’ Mrs Donn said.
‘I was nearly 70 (when I took him in) but it didn’t matter he made us young again, we had a wonderful life with him, he was the loveliest kid.
‘Even the police said last night just how well mannered he was, they all knew him too. When I found out I was shocked, I was just devastated.
Donn had never held a drivers licence but still allegedly got behind the wheel of this Holden sedan on Tuesday afternoon
Sheldon, Shane, their older brother, their mother Shayleen Frail and a friend were walking home from the Wellington Aquatic Leisure Centre (pictured) when a car ploughed into them on the same street
‘The police came around and spoke to us, they were frightened of what may happen to him, with all these people online threatening to kill him.
‘They were frightened of what would happen to me too, cars were driving past all the night and yelling out: “We’ll kill you, you f**king dogs”.’
Donn allegedly fled the scene of the crash before being caught by police on nearby Elizabeth Street about 8.30pm.
Local NSW Police Acting Superintendent Natalie Antaw described the incident as a ‘tragedy’ for the community.
‘Obviously it’s tragic circumstances for the entire community and our thoughts are completely with the family and friends of the little ones involved and also the rest of the community of Wellington,’ Act Supt Antaw said.
‘Obviously a scene like that is horrific for anybody.
Mr Shorey said the boys had been living in NSW before moved up to Queensland with him last year – but wherever they went they were popular kids
Acting Police Superintendent Inspector Natalie Antaw (pictured) described the incident as a tragedy for the Wellington community
‘It’s a tragedy for the families involved and we’ll be making sure we take care of our own staff and others who have witnessed this tragic incident.
‘It’s one of those jobs where you sometimes wish your arms were a little bit longer so you can wrap them around all your staff.’
The close knit community of Wellington, home to 5,000 people, is now rallying around the shattered family.
A GoFundMe page has been set up with donations to go to Mr Shorey to help him pay for funerals for his two boys, after he lost his job late last year.
Devastated dad visits the scene where his two young sons were killed
Sheldon and Shane Shorey’s father, Joseph Shorey, making a brave visit to the scene, told media gathered he had a very simple message for hoons: ‘It’s not cool, and it’s left two of my sons dead.’
Confronting pictures show Mr Shorey with his head in his hands after arriving with friends and family, before falling to his knees and inspecting the tributes from locals.
Balloons, teddy bears and flowers adorned the tragic scene, with the local community in tatters over the deaths – which saw neighbours rush to free the trapped family from under a car.
The father of the two boys killed, Joseph Shorey, arrives at the scene of the devastating crash in Warne St
After driving through the night from his home in Queensland, Mr Shorey and family members visited the crash site late on Wednesday.
They hugged, cried, laughed, prayed and played some of the boys’ favourite music.
Afterwards he bravely spoke about his two sons, remembering their precious lives that were cut short.
The boys’ father Joseph Shorey (pictured in blue) made an emotional visit to the scene on Wednesday
He also hit out at the allegations Dunn was doing burnouts and donuts in the street in the moments before the crash, telling hoon drivers: ‘It’s not cool’
He also hit out at the allegations Dunn was doing burnouts and donuts in the street in the moments before the crash, telling hoon drivers: ‘It’s not cool’.
‘That is not cool, all you young fellas out there doing that, it’s not cool, because there are consequences if you do something stupid and wrong,’ Mr Shorey said.
‘Don’t drive around stupid, drive around smart. You want to do donuts go and join a race club and do them there. Don’t do them on the streets.
‘Sheldon’s only six, he’ll be seven next month on the 12th. Shane was only seven, he was turning eight on Friday… two more days.’
Family and friends gathered to support the family of two young boys killed in the horror crash