Wayne De Lima was driving his Ford Focus RS while uninsured on 5 October last year when he smashed into 19-year-old Olly Newman’s car as it pulled out of Le Port car park.
Mr Newman, a talented musician and surfer, has been left unable to walk or talk after the accident despite undergoing a series of operations. The former De La Salle College student is still only able to open his eyes and doctors are unsure whether he is aware of his surroundings, despite being concious.
De Lima (19) pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance and was sentenced to youth detention and banned from driving for three years.
Outlining the case to the Royal Court, Crown Advocate David Hopwood said that Mr Newman’s car was struck after he decided to drive to public toilets at Le Braye while celebrating a friend’s birthday at Le Port.
The court heard that De Lima had not been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, but was driving between 78 and 84 mph before applying his brakes.
Crown Advocate Hopwood added that De Lima’s friend said that after the impact he could not bring himself to approach Mr Newman’s car for ‘fear of what he might find’.
When the police arrived De Lima admitted that he was not insured to drive the car, and said he just wanted ‘the other guy to be OK’.
Advocate Jane Grace, defending, called for community service as an alternative to a custodial sentence.
‘He did not go out that night with the intention to drive dangerously. These acts were out of character and there was no indication that he drove aggressively or in any other way that was dangerous.’
Advocate Grace added that since the crash, her client had been ‘haunted’ by what he had done and he is at a ‘loss’ as to what he can do to make amends for his actions.
The Bailiff was sitting with Jurats Paul Nicolle and Richard Blampied.
In May this year, dozens of Mr Newman’s friends and family gathered at the Watersplash for an event to raise money for his treatment. The event featured music, stunt bike riding, a fire show and a barbecue and raised thousands of pounds for the teenager.
