The mother of a woman killed in a hit-and-run car crash in Hobart says her heart went out to the driver as he was handed his five-year jail sentence.
Zach James Muir-Bennett, 25, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Vanessa Hayward, 42, died almost instantly when Muir-Bennett’s car ploughed into her Holden Commodore at an intersection around 8:45pm on June 22, 2017.
Muir-Bennett, a learner driver whose license had been suspended, was going down the road at 80km/h with his headlights switched off when the crash happened.
Vanessa Hayward, 42, died in a hit-and-run car crash in Hobart lats June. She would only have had time to cry out before Zach James Muir-Bennett’s car ploughed into her
Muir-Bennett, 25, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of causing death by dangerous driving
The collision was so loud that residents thought there had been an explosion.
Muir-Bennett and Zac Jones, the friend he was driving with, both fled the scene.
The two male friends Vanessa was with watched as she died, completely helpless to do anything.
Speaking outside the court after the sentence was handed down, Vanessa’s mother Mary Hayward said she felt only compassion as she watched Muir-Bennett receive his sentence.
‘He really did look so saddened and so sorry and my heart went out to him,’ She told the ABC.
‘I don’t know what it would be like to face a jail sentence, so I feel really sorry for him from that point of view.’
‘Surely if Vanessa has a legacy it would be to get him to stop in his tracks and think ‘I’ve got to change something’.’
Vanessa’s mum, Mary Hayward, said she only had compassion for Muir-Bennett as she watched him receive his sentence
The two male friends Vanessa’s was with watched as she died, completely helpless to do anything
After crashing into Vanessa’s car, Muir-Bennett and Zac Jones, the friend he was driving with fled the scene
‘He’s 25, he’s got his whole life ahead. He can choose to go down one path or choose to go down the other… and fingers crossed he might take the better option.’
Both of the male passengers she had been with told the court that they had ongoing trauma from watching her die and were receiving psychiatric help.
Around 300 family and friends filled a Chapel in Hobart for Vanessa’s funeral. She was described as compassionate and fun loving, words echoed by her mother after the sentencing.
Around 300 family and friends attended the funeral. She was described as compassionate and fun loving, words that her mother echoed today
A huge man hunt was launched in the days following the crash and Muir-Bennett eventually handed himself into the police.
They were able to identify him by his fingerprint – it was the same one they had found on an empty alcohol can on the floor of the drivers seat.
He had a history of offences including at least three prior convictions for dangerous driving, dishonesty, and violence.
‘A cycle of imprisonment, release and re-offending has been entrenched,’ said Acting Justice Porter, The Mercury reported.
‘Your driving on that evening was extremely dangerous … you had no regard whatsoever for the safety of others and completely abandoned the scene,’ he said to Muir-Bennett.
Muir-Bennett will be eligible for parole after three years of his nine years sentence. He is a disqualified from driving for four years after his release.