The family of a motorcyclist killed in Canberra's north has shared their profound grief in court, as the man responsible awaits sentencing. Sean Joshua Walton, 43, was found guilty last month of negligent driving causing the death of 47-year-old Craig O'Neill on June 18, 2024.
During a sentencing hearing on Friday, the ACT Supreme Court heard victim impact statements from Mr O'Neill's family. His eldest daughter described him as 'a big bear of a man' who would have turned 50 this year but will instead 'stay 47'. She told the court she and her sister had spoken to him on the phone the night before he died, as they regularly did.
The teenager said she had lost the chance to share milestones with her father, including learning to drive, graduations, career advice, and father-daughter dances. 'I've lost doing all that with my dad, but the defendant can be there for his daughters,' she said. 'I hope he treasures the ability to do that with his daughters.'
The girls' mother told the court that one of her daughters still says goodnight to her father each night beside a shrine in her bedroom. 'No 10-year-old should ever have a shrine in her room,' she said. 'A member of our family is missing, taken from us because someone was too impatient.'
Walton, a father of four, was driving his Isuzu tipper truck when he turned right at the intersection of Southern Cross Drive and Beaurepaire Crescent in Holt and collided with Mr O'Neill's black Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Defence barrister Kieran Ginges described the crash as a 'tragic mistake with devastating consequences'. However, the prosecution argued Walton's failure to keep a proper lookout while driving a heavy vehicle amounted to a significant failing.
Justice Peter Berman is expected to sentence Walton next week.
