A 30-year-old man from Perth, who has been jailed twice for causing serious accidents, one of them fatal, has been sent back to prison for driving repeatedly while under suspension less than a year after his death. release.
Key points:
- An 18-year-old woman died in a quad accident with Joshua Bonjour in 2012
- Shortly after his release from prison, another woman was seriously injured in a car he crashed into.
- After being released from prison for the second time, he was found driving repeatedly while suspended
Joshua Bonjour was first jailed for a fatal quad accident in 2012 in which 18-year-old Jodie Maree Worthington died.
The teenager was a passenger on the bicycle, driving Bonjour when he crashed into a car on a dirt track.
At the time of the accident, Bonjour was serving a suspended prison sentence for a number of offenses such as reckless driving, suspended driving and theft.
He pleaded not guilty to a dangerous driving charge that resulted in death, but was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.
Jodie Maree Worthington died when the passenger car crashed into her quad.
Bonjour was found hidden under the bed after the accident
Just a few months after being released on parole, Bonjour caused a car accident that seriously injured his passenger, Lily Davis, 25.
Bonjour was speeding when he lost control and hit an electric stick. He then fled the scene and was found hidden under a bed.
On that occasion, he received a sentence of 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving that caused him bodily harm.
His license was again suspended, but 11 months after serving that prison sentence, he was secretly recorded by police, who received a warning, driving on 17 different occasions between July and October of that year. past.
Ignore “extended”, “blatant” license suspensions
In court, Bonjour pleaded guilty to 17 charges, and the police prosecutor described his repeated crimes as a “prolonged, persistent and flagrant disregard” of court-ordered license suspensions.
The 30-year-old’s lawyer argued that his client should receive a suspended prison sentence, saying that by the time he got behind the wheel, his client was suffering from mental health problems and that he was facing isolation. -se.
He also had low self-esteem, the court said, and had not wanted to burden his family with things like taking him to the beach.
The lawyer said that if a suspended prison sentence was imposed, it could include conditions for Bonjour to seek legal advice to address his problems.
Immediate jail time is required, the magistrate says
Magistrate Deen Potter said that while there were a number of mitigating circumstances, the only appropriate sentence was an immediate prison sentence.
The magistrate described Bonjour’s driving record as “atrocious” and said a message should be sent to the community that such conduct leads to imprisonment.
Bonjour was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but was eligible for parole, meaning he will have to serve six months before he can be released.
The mother of the first victim goes to court
Jodie Worthington’s mother, Paula Purcell, was in court for the hearing.
Out of court, he said he believed repeat offenders like Bonjour should be banned for life.
“He will still drive, but I think repeat offenders should be dealt with first, not five offenses on the track,” he said.
Jodie Maree Worthington (right) died from injuries sustained in the trail bike accident. (Facebook: RIP Jodie Maree Worthington)
Ms Purcell said it was difficult to hear Bonjour trying to argue that the mental health issues were behind her crimes.
In tears, she said, she had attended the hearing because she did not want everyone to forget what she had done to her daughter.
“I don’t want to see another family go through the same thing.”