The father of a former NSW police minister has been handed a near four-year prison sentence for a horrific hit-and-run which claimed the life of a renowned scientist.
Kenneth Wayne Grant, 72, had almost four times the legal limit of alcohol in his system when the Mazda ute he was driving left the road and ploughed into 62-year-old blood transfusion scientist Tony Greenfield at Maitland in November 2020.
Despite claiming he was sleepwalking and could not remember the crash or fleeing the scene and police, Grant faced a Judge-alone NSW District Court trial last year and he was found guilty of dangerous driving occasioning death, failing to stop after a crash and triggering a police pursuit.
The court was told Grant, an ex-NSW Police Inspector who served in the Force for 31 years, recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.194 at Maitland Hospital after his arrest.
Mr Greenfield was walking with his wife Nerida on the side of the road after attending an annual Christmas party which Mr Grant also attended.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Mr Greenfield died after was rushed to hospital.
The court heard that shortly before the crash Grant had been offered a swag to sleep in at the property the party took place at.
“I’ll go to the toilet and grab my sleep machine out of the car,” Grant told his friend who offered the place to stay.
After he mowed Mr Greenfield down, Grant continued driving, overtook a taxi, crossed onto the wrong side of the road and almost took out a fence.
When police saw Grant stopped at traffic lights with two flat tyres, the court heard one officer opened Grant’s door and said “stop”.
Grant pulled the door shut and told the officer to “ … off” before continuing to drive off, swerving from left to right.
When police first spoke to Grant after they managed to force him out of the car, the court heard he said “my son is Troy Grant the Police Minister and I’m pissed”.
Judge Hatzistergos said Mr Greenfield’s death “shattered” his wife and children and left them unable to work.
“The sight of the deceased as being killed in front of her led Ms Greenfield to shock for months and she felt that her brain could not process what she had seen,” the Judge said.
“She describes being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and receiving psychological support. For months afterwards she could not sleep and when she did she was constantly waking up having panic attacks. The sight of the deceased’s body, the smell of the grass beside the road and the sound and the feel of it all came back to her every day.”
Mr Greenfield’s daughter Bronywn slammed Grant in a statement read out in court.
“What baffles me still is that despite being interviewed by police on multiple occasions after you hit my dad, despite you being told the DNA was on your car, once you’d sobered up, you still could not admit to anyone what had happened because all you were thinking about was yourself.ry day,” she said.
“I wasn’t even able to see my dad after he died because he was being held for forensic evidence. I waited days, and when I finally got to see my dad, I felt a type of pain that can only be described as unbearable.
“I saw my father dead, on a table, covered in sheets to hide the horrific injuries and bruising he had suffered from the impact … he had stitches all the way up his neck … they removed his brain for forensic studies. I could not stop comparing how cold and lifeless he was that day, to the last warm hug he gave me only a week earlier.”
Judge Hatzistergos told the court Grant had been diagnosed with PTSD after his policing career ended and had attempted to take his own life after the crash.
“He verbalised his intention to apologise to the victim‘s family however he had been advised against this by his solicitor,” the Judge said.
“Whilst the offender did not give evidence before me, I watched him carefully whilst the victim impact statements were read. In doing that, his head was bowed and appeared truly reflective and saddened by the loss he has brought about.
“Despite some initial hesitation in written submission, the Crown ultimately accepted that the offender is genuinely remorseful.”
Judge Hatzistergos said while Grant’s xjmtzywpoor physical and mental health, good record and service to the community could not be overlooked, a prison sentence was the only appropriate punishment.
Grant was handed a head sentence of three years and 10 months. He will be eligible for parole in February 2024.
“I acknowledge the enormous sense of grievance that each of the victims have no doubt endured,” Judge Hatzistergos said.
“This is understandable … however this cannot be allowed to interfere with the proper exercise of the sentencing discretion any more than expressions of sympathy in the offender’s favour. The sentence that the offender receives cannot restore what the deceased’s family and the community have lost.”
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