The WA Supreme Court has been informed that the driver who slammed into the car in WA’s Mid-West and killed a couple who were turning into their driveway was under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol and was travelling at approximately 100 km/h over the speed limit.
Lindsay and Valerie Baskerville, prominent figures in the Port Denison/Dongara community, around 350 kilometres from Perth, were killed by Khel Robert Steel, 24, who admitted to the crime.
He was given a nine-year prison term today in front of the Supreme Court, of which he must serve seven before being eligible for parole.
Additionally, he will have a two-year driving prohibition that won’t take effect until after his release from jail.
The incident occurred on the evening of March 4 of last year, as Mrs. Baskerville, 84, who was driving and had her 88-year-old husband in the passenger seat, turned right into the driveway of their son.
Both passed away there.
The court heard that just a few seconds prior to the deadly crash, Steel, who was travelling too fast in a 60 kph zone, sideswiped another car as it was turning right into a house.
The Baskervilles’ automobile was struck by him as he proceeded to move at a speed that was roughly 157 kilometres per hour.
Later that evening, blood tests showed that Steel was under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, and prescription drugs.
The result of his blood alcohol test was 0.11 percent.
The state’s top prosecutor, Kade Rosenthal, said that the drugs’ “extreme” impairment, which included confusion and sleepiness, was a concern.
Data retrieved from Steel’s vehicle, according to Mr. Rosenthal, proved that he did not engage the brakes until a few moments before colliding with the Baskervilles’ automobile.
The tyres on Steel were likewise discovered to be bald or nearly bald.
According to Steel’s attorney Justine Fisher, her client had mental health problems at the time and had been addicted to prescription drugs as a result of an injury he had after being physically abused by his controlling father.
While the prescription Steel used on the day of the crash was not prescribed to him, he had bought it online, according to Ms. Fisher, who said that the father had introduced Steel to drugs and alcohol when he was around 15 years old.
The court heard that he had a prior conviction for driving while impaired by cannabis as well as reckless driving, and while he denied taking cannabis on the day, he acknowledged he might have in the days prior.
In a letter to the court, which Ms. Fisher made public, Steel claimed to have nightmares about what transpired “every time he closed his eyes.”
The letter stated, “I have ongoing feelings of shame, self-hatred, and guilt.”
“I am so sorry for what I did,” I said.
Mr. Rosenthal argued that Steel should receive a significant jail sentence because he continued to drive in an exceedingly unsafe manner despite having just clipped another car.
Bruce and Kaye Robson, the son and daughter of the Baskervilles, observed the proceedings from the public gallery while Steel wiped away tears as he sat in the court.
While Steel’s tyre condition was not a factor in the collision, Justice Sam Vandongen said it did reveal Steel’s attitude towards traffic safety.
He referred to Steel’s driving as “outrageously dangerous” and said he could not comprehend why Steel had purposefully decided to get behind the wheel.
You shouldn’t have been operating a vehicle at all. The 24-year-old was told by Justice Vandongen.
He said that Steel had “no chance” of saving his victims.
Justice Vandongen highlighted that no penalty he handed down could accurately capture the tragedy of the Baskervilles’ deaths and the suffering endured by their loved ones.
They must be in excruciating pain, he thought.
“It is genuinely awful to lose parents and grandparents without having the chance to say goodbye.
They turned into their son’s driveway while paying no attention to anything.
“Your driving style was absolutely appalling… Your speed was simply amazing.
Childhood sweethearts, the Baskervilles
One of the couple’s sons, Bruce Baskerville, fought back tears as he continued by saying that the family would always mourn the loss of his parents.
“For us, it’s a life sentence, and for us, our family, and our community, it never ends, it will never end,” he said.
“Our mother and father passed away in really terrible circumstances, and we still mourn their loss every day and always will.”
Because of how well-known and “in everything” his parents were, Mr. Baskerville claimed that the Dongara community will also feel the loss.
Everybody, including us, is happy that we have reached this stage. “Just about every sporting group, every community group, they were members of it (and) they also have their suffering and their pain to go through,”
The pair started dating while still in elementary school and have been married for approximately 65 years.
In the manner of individuals who have been together for so long, Mr. Baskerville remarked, “They were still really in love at the end.”
They weren’t the kind of individuals to genuinely criticise others; instead, they frequently urged others to consider opposing viewpoints. They were the kind of values they raised us with and they weren’t hateful.
