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Parents Address Court as Convicted NSW Sergeant Awaits Sentence in Jai Wright Death

The case has become a test of police accountability after a rare conviction over an Aboriginal teenager’s death.

Overview

  • Family members delivered victim impact statements on Friday in Sydney, with Jai Wright’s mother urging that Sergeant Benedict Bryant not be jailed.
  • Bryant was convicted last year of dangerous driving occasioning death after Judge Jane Culver found he used an unmarked car as a roadblock without lights or sirens.
  • The court heard that the 16-year-old was thrown from a trail bike in Alexandria and struck the vehicle, later dying from head injuries at Prince Alfred Hospital.
  • Prosecutor Phillip Strickland argued Bryant’s 22 years of experience and a similar incident two and a half months earlier made his conduct highly culpable.
  • The defence called the crash a momentary misjudgment and is seeking a non-custodial sentence, with an appeal flagged and formal sentencing to follow later this year.