Redcliffe hit and run driver jailed for 9 years

[Hunter]

You might remember last year here was a fatal hit and run in Redcliffe (here in QLD) that killed a 13 year old school kid during a high speed police chase. Apparently the woman who was driving the vehicle has been jailed for 9 years. Glad to see justice was done but it doesn't make up for the loss of the poor kid who was minding her own business.

Link

Hit-and-run teenager jailed for killing girl

By Christine Flatley

September 26, 2007 04:26pm
Article from: AAP

AN unlicensed teenager who struck and killed a 13-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl during a high-speed police chase has been jailed for nine years.

Adrielle Faith Coolwell was 19 when the car she was driving ploughed into Caitlin Hanrick as the student was crossing the road outside Redcliffe State High School on December 4 last year.

Ignoring the injured schoolgirl, who was on her way to a music lesson, Coolwell sped off in the Commodore in a further attempt to evade police.

The chase, which reached speeds of up to 120km/h in a heavily built-up residential and business area, only ended when Coolwell crashed the car - which had no working brakes - into a tree.

She and two passengers fled the scene on foot, but were later apprehended and arrested.

Caitlin was airlifted to the Royal Brisbane Children's Hospital with head and internal injuries, but died soon after.

Coolwell today pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court to 25 charges, including one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, and seven counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

[Hunter]

More:

Link

Hit and run teen jailed for nine years

September 26, 2007 - 4:39PM
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An unlicensed teenage driver who struck and killed a 13-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl during a high-speed police chase has been jailed for nine years.

Adrielle Faith Coolwell was 19 when the car she was driving ploughed into Caitlin Hanrick as the student was crossing the road outside Redcliffe State High School on December 4 last year.

Ignoring the injured schoolgirl, who was on her way to a music lesson, Coolwell sped off in the Commodore in a further attempt to evade police.

The chase, which reached speeds of up to 120km/h in a heavily built-up residential and business area, only ended when Coolwell crashed the car - which had no working brakes - into a tree.

She and two passengers fled the scene on foot, but were later apprehended and arrested.

Caitlin was airlifted to the Royal Brisbane Children's Hospital with head and internal injuries, but died soon after.

Coolwell on Wednesday pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court to 25 charges, including one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, and seven counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Prosecutor Simone Bain told the court that Coolwell, who has been addicted to paint-sniffing since she was 13, had been smoking cannabis just before the incident.

A medical report tendered in court showed the intoxication caused by the cannabis would have been roughly equivalent to a blood alcohol reading of between 0.10 and 0.15 per cent.

The court was told Coolwell had led police on a lengthy chase and that she had crossed over into the path of oncoming traffic on a number of occasions, narrowly avoiding accidents with cars and pedestrians.

She ran a red light on the pedestrian crossing where she hit Caitlin, and only just avoided hitting another student who was pulled off the road by a quick-thinking friend.

The court was told Coolwell showed no remorse immediately following the crash but had since written a letter of apology to Caitlin's family.

Caitlin's family were in court on Wednesday and sobbed loudly as Judge Garry Forno sentenced Coolwell to nine years' jail.

In sentencing, Judge Forno told Coolwell she was a "danger to the community" and that she had "a long way to go" to rehabilitate herself.

Coolwell's family surrounded her and hugged her, sobbing, as she was led from the dock.

She will be eligible for parole after serving four-and-a-half years.

The Hanrick family is expected to issue a statement.

[The Monty]

They dont deserve jail. Thats too good for them. They need something much much worse.

[Mongoose]

Im sure there's alot more that goes in in jail than the public is aware of.

[red_hotxr6]

And to top it off her lawyer said that she is now a changed woman...

[Bosman]

In those circumstances it should be a life for a life.

Things we do or say in life ..... echo an eternity

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by red_hotxr6

And to top it off her lawyer said that she is now a changed woman...

You would hope she was regardless.

9 years makes life seem so cheap.

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

Im sure there's alot more that goes in in jail than the public is aware of.

Of course jail isn't a nice experience, but then again, neither is having your daughter killed in a drunken, stoned moment of idiocy.

People who commit these acts always talk about how changed they are. Maybe if they'd thought about their actions before executing them instead of after things would be better.

[VSSII]

Thats a very very good sentence. Probably will be reduced on appeal as is always the case though. After the hoo ha has died down. A couple of islanders who bashed and killed a Sydney publican with a bar stool when they were robbing him just got sent down for only 7! And one of the crooks that shot that a NSW police officer a few years ago and was senytenced to 23 years just appealed with no new information provided and had his sentence reduced to 7 years!!

[Van D]

Commodore... I stopped reading after there :togo: