Adelaide Now: Death driver on bond

A speeding driver who killed a cyclist in a “moment of stupidity” has avoided jail but not the grief of his victim’s family. Anthony Steven Doulos wept yesterday as he was sentenced in the District Court to a two-year jail term which was suspended upon him entering a three-year good behaviour bond. The 23 year old had admitted causing the May, 2004 death of Peter Pontikinas by dangerous driving.

After being spoken to by a family member of Doulos after the sentence was handed down, the sister-in-law of the victim, Thea Peters, shouted: “There’s nothing to be happy about.” Last night, Ms Peters told The Advertiser her comments were made after “(a family member of Doulos) said ‘I suppose you’re happy with that’.” “My sister’s husband is dead and we didn’t want Anthony to go to jail,” Ms Peters said inside court.

In sentencing, Judge Wayne Chivell said Doulos was driving at more than 99km/h before the collision. “In your immaturity and inexperience, you decided to speed in order to enjoy the power of your V8,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is a particularly prevalent attitude among young drivers.”

Doulos had reclined his seat so far back and turned his music up so loud that his conduct was reckless. Had he been travelling at 60km/h, he would have been able to stop before hitting Mr Pontikinas. “The availability of relatively inexpensive but powerful vehicles to young men such as yourself is a potent recipe for this sort of disaster,” he said.

“This was just a moment of stupidity that has had catastrophic consequences not only for the Pontikinas family but for yourself.” He agreed to suspend Doulos’s two-year sentence because of his “extreme contrition”. He was disqualified from driving for eight years.

Outside court, Mr Pontikinas’s wife, Penny, warned more people would suffer because of hoon drivers. “These young people that drive on the road just don’t care,” she said. “Maybe this guy has learned himself a lesson.”