The teen behind the wheel of a car involved in a horror crash that killed young footballer Nick Campo has been jailed for three years and two months.
Mr Campo had just celebrated his 18th birthday and was enroute to a Leederville nightclub, with four friends, when the driver lost control of his Toyota Hilux in North Lake just before midnight on July 13 2024.
It’s understood the now 18-year-old and three passengers had taken cocaine and were racing to beat the nightclub’s lock-out time.
The court heard the teenager reached speeds of 133km/h on North Lake Road and was seen driving through a red light before the crash occurred.
Children’s Court President Hylton Quail said he was satisfied that the “amped up” passengers had encouraged the driver to “beat” the estimated time of arrival, with one urging the teenager to “gun it”. But the judge said the driver had made his own decisions.
The teenager learnt his fate on Wednesday with Judge Quail labelling the incident a “very tragic case”.
“No sentence can ameliorate the lifelong pain,” he said.
The P-plater, who cannot be identified as he was 17 at the time of the incident, will be eligible for parole after serving 19 months. He has been behind bars since November, when he surrendered his bail.
Outside court Mr Campo’s mother, Bianca Campo, said the family was disappointed with the sentence.
“We don’t feel that it is enough and I really don’t think it sets a very good example for young people,” she told reporters.
“Nick was a really good kid and he was very much loved by all of us. Please, just please, just make sure your kids, they know to do the right thing when they get into cars, because this is like a pain that’s unbearable,” she added.
