THE driver of a car who shunted another vehicle into the Shoalhaven River resulting in the death of the driver and causing grievous bodily harm to a passenger has been sentenced to a total of four years in jail.
Daniel Gordon Schilder, 29, formerly of Maclean Street, Nowra, faced court in Sydney yesterday for sentencing after being convicted of driving in a manner dangerous causing death and driving in a manner dangerous causing grievous bodily harm.
Tim Ioannou, 30, was killed in September 2010 when the vehicle he was driving was shunted by Schilder’s car at the intersection of Illaroo Road and the Princes Highway and plunged into the river.
A passenger in the car, 27-year-old Amanda Sutton, was rescued and later taken to hospital, while Mr Ioannou died before he could be pulled from the vehicle.
On the charge of driving in a manner dangerous causing grievous bodily harm, Schilder was sentenced to two years and three months with a non-parole period of one year and three months with his sentence starting yesterday.
On the charge of driving in a manner dangerous causing death, he was sentenced to three years with a non-parole period of one year and eight months, with the partially accumulated sentence starting January 24, 2014.
He also had his licence suspended for six years.
On Wednesday Judge Neilson delivered a detailed judgment in writing and found Schilder not guilty and acquitted him of the charges of aggravated driving in a manner dangerous causing death and the aggravated driving in a manner dangerous causing grievous bodily harm.