The Daily Telegraph,
IF there was ever an example of the tragic consequences of texting While driving, it was the death of father-of-three Graham Denton, a court heard
The amateur triathlete was riding in the breakdown lane on the outside of his female training partner - like he always did should the "unthinkable" happen when a driver drifted off the road and slammed into him.
The driver, Jason Noel Rippard, later told police he was sending a text at the time.
Rippard's solicitor, Kevin Pearce of Aubrey Brown Partners, told Wyong Local Court his client intended pleading guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death.
"If there was ever an example of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, this is it," he told the court.
The 30-year-old driver, of Budgewoi, was also charged with low range drink-driving after he was breath-tested at the scene and later returned a reading of 0.057.
Checks also showed his licence had expired five days before the crash on the Pacific Highway at Gwandalan, near Lake Macquarie, about 6.30am on December 9.
Rippard's defence will argue when he is committed for sentencing next month the alcohol in his system had little influence on the crash, which was instead caused by his lapse of concentration.
In a handwritten letter to the 52-year-old victim's grieving wife Catherine and their three sons, Rhys, 13, Jacob, 12,and Lennex,10 - written prior to him seeking legal advice and tendered as part of the police brief Rippard apologised for "destroying such a beautiful family".
"I don't write this letter seeking forgiveness because I will never forgive myself," he wrote. "To know that the car I was driving ended Graham's life is devastating to me but I can only imagine how devastating it is for you."
The father-of-two is possibly the first motorist in NSW to be charged over a fatality while using a mobile phone. According to the latest available Roads and Traffic Authority data there were 31 crashes in 2009 in which use of a hand-held phone was a proven contributing factor.
It follows the sentencing of Marcus Johnstone in Victoria in 2006 to six years and nine months in jail after he crashed into a power pole while deleting a 24-word text, killing two teenage girls in the back seat.
Outside court, Mr Denton's training partner, who narrowly escaped serious injury, said she was still traumatised by the horrific incident.
Vanessa Parry-Williams said she had returned to training but was scared every time she got back on her bike.
IF there was ever an example of the tragic consequences of texting While driving, it was the death of father-of-three Graham Denton, a court heard
The amateur triathlete was riding in the breakdown lane on the outside of his female training partner - like he always did should the "unthinkable" happen when a driver drifted off the road and slammed into him.
The driver, Jason Noel Rippard, later told police he was sending a text at the time.
Rippard's solicitor, Kevin Pearce of Aubrey Brown Partners, told Wyong Local Court his client intended pleading guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death.
"If there was ever an example of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, this is it," he told the court.
The 30-year-old driver, of Budgewoi, was also charged with low range drink-driving after he was breath-tested at the scene and later returned a reading of 0.057.
Checks also showed his licence had expired five days before the crash on the Pacific Highway at Gwandalan, near Lake Macquarie, about 6.30am on December 9.
Rippard's defence will argue when he is committed for sentencing next month the alcohol in his system had little influence on the crash, which was instead caused by his lapse of concentration.
In a handwritten letter to the 52-year-old victim's grieving wife Catherine and their three sons, Rhys, 13, Jacob, 12,and Lennex,10 - written prior to him seeking legal advice and tendered as part of the police brief Rippard apologised for "destroying such a beautiful family".
"I don't write this letter seeking forgiveness because I will never forgive myself," he wrote. "To know that the car I was driving ended Graham's life is devastating to me but I can only imagine how devastating it is for you."
The father-of-two is possibly the first motorist in NSW to be charged over a fatality while using a mobile phone. According to the latest available Roads and Traffic Authority data there were 31 crashes in 2009 in which use of a hand-held phone was a proven contributing factor.
It follows the sentencing of Marcus Johnstone in Victoria in 2006 to six years and nine months in jail after he crashed into a power pole while deleting a 24-word text, killing two teenage girls in the back seat.
Outside court, Mr Denton's training partner, who narrowly escaped serious injury, said she was still traumatised by the horrific incident.
Vanessa Parry-Williams said she had returned to training but was scared every time she got back on her bike.
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