"Impossibly sad": P-plater jailed over fatal crash
A southwest Sydney community is reeling after Tyrell Edwards was sentenced for causing the deaths of five children in a fiery crash last year.
Edwards, 20, was driving recklessly at speeds of 147km/h in the suburb of Buxton when he crashed into two trees and struck five teenagers.
Lily Van De Putte, Gabby McLennan, Summer Williams, all aged 14, Tyrese Bechard, 15, and Antonio Desisto, 16, were all killed in the devastating incident.
Appearing in Campbelltown District Court on his 20th birthday, Edwards sentenced to 12 years in prison, and will be eligible for parole in seven years, after pleading guilty to five counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death at a speed more than 45km/h over the limit.
The judge described the deaths of the five victims as “tragic and impossibly sad”.
“The loss of these five young people diminishes us all,” he said.
“Their deaths were completely avoidable and responsibility for them lies squarely at the feet of the offender.”
Gasps were heard in the courtroom as the sentence was read, with families of the victims sharing their disappointment at the sentencing.
Speaking outside court on Friday, family members of three of the teenagers hit out at the “unfair” sentence.
Samantha McLennan said her heart “dropped” as she heard the ruling, while Exavan Desisto said he was “speechless”.
“I knew the outcome wouldn’t be spectacular but to hear it was a big shock,” he said. “The justice system absolutely stinks.”
John Van De Putte said he expected the sentence to be low, but felt it did not match the crime.
“There’s five lives lost. Seven years in jail,” he said. “You’d get more if you killed someone with a baseball bat
Mr Van De Putte had previously told the court there was “no excuse” for Edwards, a licensed driver, to have driven so recklessly and endangered the lives of his underage passengers.
“No matter what you get, it will not bring back the five lives,” he told the 20-year-old.
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