A teenager who pushed two people into the River Derwent to steal a handbag has been sentenced to four years in prison after one of his victims drowned.
The 19-year-old, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated robbery over the January 2024 incident at Franklin Wharf on the Hobart waterfront.
Indian student Deepinderjeet Singh, 27, died after being shoved into the water alongside a woman he was on a first date with. Neither could swim.
The Supreme Court heard the teen had been fishing with friends and family when someone in the group encouraged him to push the pair in and grab the woman’s bag.
The woman managed to cling to a nearby railing, but Singh was later found floating in the water by police and declared dead.
Chief Justice Chris Shanahan described the attack as “casual, random and pointless”.
“This was a callous and deliberate act driven by your desire to steal the handbag,” he said.
The court was told the teen fled in a vehicle and began throwing items from the stolen bag out the window.
He later phoned a relative saying: “I f—ing pushed them in. I got the f—ing bag.”
The stolen credit card was then used to buy chips and chocolate at Kmart.
After learning of Singh’s death on social media, the teen told acquaintances: “What have I done? And why do I let people talk me into things?”
Chief Justice Shanahan noted the teen had been on bail for other matters at the time and made no attempt to help either victim.
However, he said the offender had shown genuine remorse and had strong family support, which was unusual in such cases.
The four-year sentence was backdated to January 2024, when he was taken into custody.
The final two years will be suspended under strict conditions, including 100 hours of community service, a ban on alcohol and regular probation meetings.
The teen is expected to be released from Ashley Youth Detention Centre in early 2026.
