A YOUNG man charged over a fatal car accident last month was yesterday refused bail after it was revealed he had twice been before the court for dangerous driving.
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Andrew William Thompson, 21, still had brown marks on his face and forehead from injuries he suffered in the crash of a Commodore car on Hen and Chicken Lane, Perthville about 8.15pm on Wednesday, April 21.
Nicholas Johnston, 22, was a passenger in the car and died at the scene of the crash.
Bathurst Local Court yesterday heard that Thompson had been disqualified from driving for three years last October.
Magistrate Jan Stevenson refused an application by Thompson's solicitor Peter Ringbauer to release his client for medical treatment for a fractured ankle, facial bone fractures, fractured sternum and chest cavity injuries, including a heart condition that required monitoring.
Mr Ringbauer said Thompson would report immediately to the hospital for surgery on his ankle because he was not receiving appropriate treatment in jail. While on bail, Mr Ringbauer said Thompson would report daily to the Bathurst police station.
But Ms Stevenson said that Thompson came before the court with a record for dangerous driving in 2008, driving disqualified in 2009 and driving in a manner dangerous in October 2009 when he’d been disqualified from driving or holding a licence for three years.
He was before the court yesterday charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, failing to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing death, negligent driving occasioning death, negligent driving, driving disqualified, using an unregistered Class A motor vehicle and using an uninsured motor vehicle.
Mr Ringbauer said Thompson had been unable to get appropriate treatment since his arrest.
However, Ms Stevenson noted Thompson had signed himself out of the Westmead Hospital on Wednesday, April 28 – a week after the accident.
The magistrate refused bail but directed that Thompson be assessed by a specialist medical practitioner within 24 hours.
He was remanded in custody for a brief of evidence to be served by June 14 ahead of a disclosure conference by June 28 and reply during an audio visual hearing on Monday, July 12.
In refusing bail, Ms Stevenson took into account that the Director of Public Prosecutions would be proceeding against Thompson on the charge of dangerous driving occasioning death.
DPP managing lawyer Ron England said his office would proceed on the more serious charge while other charges Thompson faces would remain with police. But the other charges may form part of a certificate during committal to the District Court.