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Court Hears Harrowing Testimony in St Edmund's Hit-and-Run as AFP Flags Police Misconduct

Sentencing was reserved for March after the judge questioned the sincerity of Tayler Hazell's apology.

Overview

  • Families described lasting trauma and severe injuries, including a 49‑day hospital stay and an eight‑and‑a‑half‑hour emergency surgery that nearly led to an arm amputation.
  • CCTV and dashcam footage showed Hazell stealing a green Holden Commodore with an eight‑year‑old briefly inside, driving erratically, striking two students on a median strip, then crashing in Manuka.
  • Hazell read a tearful apology and said drug use drove his actions and that he plans to enter rehabilitation, but the prosecutor and Acting Justice John Burns cast doubt on genuine remorse.
  • Court documents and an AFP spokesperson confirmed Professional Standards found officers breached conduct rules during Hazell's arrest, with sanctions to follow as the internal matter continues.
  • Hazell pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including two counts of culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm, and is expected to learn his sentence in late March.