Devlin Bartholomew went to his girlfriend’s home, had supper with her family, and then watched Netflix after murdering a kid in a hit-and-run accident.
Later that evening, when his partner inquired about the reason of the damage to his Holden Commodore after media coverage of the collision in a suburb of Perth, the P-plater finally acknowledged in a Snapchat message that he believed he had struck a youngster.
Bartholomew, now 19 years old, was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday after admitting guilt to manslaughter and failing to stop and call the police following an incident.
Three-year-old Gareth Tetteh (pictured) was described on Tuesday as a smart and cheeky boy who loved basketball and chocolate
Bartholomew (shown) briefly paused to assess the damage to his vehicle before continuing to his girlfriend’s home without stopping to help the youngster.
When Bartholomew hit three-year-old Gareth Tetteh outside his house in Aveley, a north-eastern suburb of Perth, in November, it was reported to the Supreme Court of Western Australia that he was doing more than 130 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.
The heinous event was seen by Gareth’s sisters, ages eight and ten.
Bartholomew paused for a while to look at the damage to his vehicle, but he didn’t stay to help the youngster and instead went to his girlfriend’s home.
After admitting to his fiancée and her parents, Bartholomew was apprehended later that evening. He said to the cops, “I didn’t realize I was going that quickly.”
On Tuesday, Gareth was characterized as a bright and witty child who enjoyed basketball and chocolate.
Bartholomew (left), who was 18 at the time, testified in court that he had no past convictions and was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In a victim impact statement, his mother Vera Tetteh told the court that the family had “lost life’s most beautiful gift.”
“The light of our life has vanished.” We just have his pictures left,” she stated.
Gareth is the youngest of four children, and his parents had made jokes about his being an NBA star or Formula One driver in the future.
A pair of basketball sneakers that they had intended to present Gareth for his fourth birthday were shown on the court by his father, Bosco Tetteh.
The court was informed that Bartholomew, who was 18 at the time, had no previous criminal history and had not used drugs or alcohol.
Tom Percy, the adolescent’s attorney, said that the boy had no other justification for driving too fast than the novelty of his new vehicle.
Bartholomew said he had been moving at 60 km/h in a police interview, a claim Justice Joseph McGrath called “fanciful.”
The court said, “You chose to operate the automobile in the way in which you did… to fulfill your own selfish wants. As a result, you murdered a three-year-old kid.”
Bartholomew received a six years and four months in jail term from Justice McGrath, as well as a five-year driving ban after his release.
Following four years and four months, he will be qualified for parole.
The toddler’s mother Vera Tetteh addressed the court in a victim impact statement, saying the family had ‘lost life’s most precious gift’ (pictured, the scene of the crash)