Drugged death driver wants to save lives
GAVIN LOWER, COURT REPORTER
April 11, 2007 02:15am
A DRUG-fuelled driver who crashed into another car, killing a passenger and injuring three other people, now wants to teach young people about road safety.
Michael John Mutton, 27, of Naracoorte, told the District Court yesterday his outlook on life had changed since the crash that killed John Binney, 23, in July, 2005.
He said that if given a chance, he wanted to be an "advertisement" for what happened when young people did not take time to think about the impact of their actions.
"This attitude needs to change in younger people," he said.
Mutton was found guilty by a jury earlier this year of causing death by dangerous driving and three charges of causing bodily harm by dangerous driving.
The court heard that around the time of the accident on the Naracoorte to Lucindale road, Mutton had a high concentration of methylamphetamine in his body, as well as cannabis.
Mutton was driving a ute and was with Mr Binney and another man after an all-night fishing trip in which they consumed drugs.
The ute veered off the road and crashed head-on with another car carrying two young women.
Yesterday, Mr Binney's partner and mother told the court of the pain they had felt since his death.
His mother, Sheila Binney, told the court that John was her youngest child and only son.
"I am living every parent's worst nightmare every day," she said.
Mr Binney's partner, Julie-Anne Metters, said the hardest thing she had to do was tell their four-year-old daughter, Ebony, that her father had died.
She said their daughter had become withdrawn and unhappy since Mr Binney's death.
Mutton had pleaded not guilty at his trial and told police he could not remember being the driver of the ute or anything about the accident. Mutton's bail was continued and he will be sentenced later this month.
