Hoon ran down, murdered refugee
A 24-year-old hoon murdered a Sudanese refugee by running him down in the middle of a Merriwa road as he yelled at him to slow down, the Supreme Court has been told today.
Luke David Taylor then fled the scene, leaving William Maker lying on the road with fatal injuries before he joined a friend to have a champagne to celebrate her buying a house.
Details of the fatal hit and run on Baltimore Parade have been revealed after Taylor pleaded guilty to a charge of murder.
It has also emerged that Taylor, whose licence was suspended at the time of the murder, has an extensive record of driving convictions, including six previous drink driving offences.
But prosecutor Les Hobson told the court that there was no evidence Taylor had been under the influence of alcohol when he drove a borrowed car straight at Mr Maker on the morning of April 13 last year.
Mr Hobson said shortly before the fatal incident, a friend who knew Taylor's licence was suspended had asked him not to drive and delivered a prophetic warning.
"You are being stupid, you will probably kill someone," Mr Hobson quoted the friend as saying.
Mr Hobson said Mr Maker, who had been intoxicated at the time, had stepped onto the road after seeing Taylor speed past a bus stop.
He had been shouting at Taylor, who had also been screeching the vehicle's tyres and revving the engine, to slow down.
Taylor continued to drive the car at Mr Maker after he went onto the road, raised his arms and started yelling.
"The offender did not attempt to slow down, brake or swerve," Mr Hobson told Justice Lindy Jenkins.
Mr Maker was hit by the car's bonnet and then windscreen before he rolled over the roof.
The 29-year-old's injuries included a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury and fractured spine and he died in hospital.
Defence lawyer Mark Trowell has started delivering submissions to the court.
