Melb: Cricketer jailed over fatal hit-run
Posted by admin on 08/3/07 in Cyclist Incidents
ABC Online: Cricketer jailed over fatal hit-run
Former Victorian cricketer David Plumpton has been jailed for a hit-run accident that killed a cyclist two years ago. The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to four charges over the fatal accident, including dangerous driving causing death and speeding. The court heard Plumpton had not slept for 24 hours when he crashed into cyclist Matthew Cole in January 2005 on Plenty Road at Bundoora.
He fled the scene and gave himself up 12 hours later. In sentencing, the judge said the needless death of Mr Cole was shocking and had a devastating effect on his family. The judge accepted Plumpton was genuinely remorseful and sentenced him to 18 months’ jail with a minimum of nine months.
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anon | Aug 3, 2007 | Reply
I was at the trial today and I am dissappointed with the verdict.
The result of the trial continues the precedent set by other hit and run trials throughout the country, i.e. if you hit and run and you are potentially culpable ( e..g drinking the night before etc) you are better off to drive away and accept the penalty of hit and run than be subject to testing that can prove you are culpable.
What the article did not state ( but was in the court articles) is that it was accepted that David Plumpton could be proven to have been out until 3 a.m. on the night before, that he had attended a number of bars etc ( and that he had been drinking). He did not hand himself in until well over 10 hours had passed since the incident, which would allow enough time for any high levels of alchol to disappear.
The moral of the story, if you drink, drive and kill someone, speed away and wait for the alcohol to disappear from the system, then hand yourself in and receive a much lighter sentence.