An 18-year-old’s “senseless, stupid act” of racing on the wrong side of the road has left an elderly Tasmanian couple with life-changing injuries, destroying what should have been their golden years, a court has heard.
Seth Connor Bellinger was sentenced to 15 months’ home detention in the Supreme Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving following a horrific head-on crash at Mole Creek on Australia Day in 2023.
The collision devastated David and Jean Palfrey, who were driving home in their Hyundai sedan when Bellinger’s Nissan Patrol slammed into them at high speed during an impromptu street race.
Chief Justice Chris Shanahan condemned Bellinger’s actions as he handed down the sentence, saying the young man was “very lucky” no one was killed.
“Your driving was a senseless stupid act and one might infer from the witness statements that your driving was intended to impress your peer group,” the Chief Justice said.
The court heard Bellinger had been drinking at the Mole Creek Hotel with friends before the crash, despite being on a P1 licence which prohibits any alcohol consumption.
After leaving the pub, Bellinger began racing another driver, Joshua Stevens, speeding along the wrong side of the road at about 80km/h with terrified passengers in his car.
“We approached a corner, still on the wrong side of the road and I could feel my gut churning as we could not see if anything was coming,” one of Bellinger’s passengers told the court.
“We continued down the road and approached another corner going left. We were still on the wrong side of the road as we rounded the corner and I saw a small car in front of us travelling towards us.”
The impact was catastrophic. Bellinger’s Nissan Patrol became airborne, hit a power pole and landed in a paddock.
Mr Palfrey, who suffered fractured ribs and severe pelvic injuries, described losing “half the physicality” of his body and feeling “useless”.
He described the horror of waking up in the wreckage next to his trapped wife, who was screaming for help and his desperate, failed attempts to free her.
Mrs Palfrey spent more than three months in hospital with severe facial injuries and fractures. She now needs a crutch to walk and lives with constant pain.
“I have gone from being [a] perfectly fine, self-sufficient, high functioning independent woman to being an invalid,” she told the court.
“I would like the driver of the other vehicle to understand the impact that his actions have had on us. We are real people and his moments of stupidity have changed our lives forever.”
“We ought to be enjoying these golden years instead of being plagued by physical restrictions pain and frustrations.”
Chief Justice Shanahan also imposed a 24-month driving disqualification and ordered Bellinger to pay compensation to the Palfreys.
Under the home detention order, Bellinger must remain at his Mole Creek home every weekend between 6pm Friday and 6am Monday.
“There is a need to send a strong message that people who choose to drive recklessly and put the lives of others at risk, that their conduct will be met with significant punishment,” the Chief Justice said.
“Whilst you are young that does not excuse you from the consequences of your actions and it is just the type of driving that contributes to the rising road toll and the tragedies that regularly occur on our roads in this state.”
