A Melbourne teenager who was on probation for just nine days caused a fatal high-speed crash that killed his 16-year-old friend. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in the County Court to charges including culpable driving causing death and intentionally causing serious injury.
The court heard that in May last year, the then-16-year-old drove a stolen SUV through a red light while nearly three times over the drink-driving limit. The vehicle collided with another car and slammed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of Dohertys Road and Derrimut Road in Tarneit. Passenger Kevin Olenga, 16, died in hospital a week later.
Three months before the crash, the teenager participated in a group bashing outside a Flemington housing tower that left a 36-year-old man, Valentino Arop, with lifelong brain injuries. The attackers kicked and stomped on Mr Arop for 10 minutes. He now requires a walking frame and is unlikely to ever work again.
Chief Judge Amanda Chambers rejected the defence's request to limit the sentence to four years in a youth prison, noting that other teenagers convicted of culpable driving had received at least five years in jail. The case returns to court on July 2 for sentencing.
