An experienced bus driver has avoided a jail term for running over and killing a mother of two as she walked on a pedestrian crossing.
Gosford District Court Judge David Wilson on Thursday ordered Craig Hollan Marjoram, 65, serve a two-year intensive corrections order in the community and be disqualified from driving for three years.
Marjoram had been due to stand trial on Monday before pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving occasioning the death of Leigh Black, 46.
He was driving a Red Bus service about 9.25am on August 19, 2022 when he ran over Mrs Black outside Bateau Bay Square shopping centre in the NSW Central Coast region.
It was estimated Mrs Black had been walking on the pedestrian crossing for four seconds when Marjoram, who had been a bus driver for 22 years, turned right and ran over her.
Marjoram had been looking right to see if there were any pedestrians entering on the other side when he drove straight into Mrs Black.
CCTV footage of the incident was played in court where one passenger screamed, "Oh my God" and Marjoram said, "Shit, shit" after running over Mrs Black who died at the scene.
Judge Wilson said Marjoram immediately contacted his base for urgent assistance, telling them: "Shit. Hang on, hang on. Oh Jesus, where did she come from? Oh far out, I didn't see her. I need an ambulance at Bay village, I've run over someone.
"Bay village, please, quick, hurry, she don't look too good. I think I might have killed her."
The judge said Marjoram later told police he was coming around the corner and "I just heard the scream. I didn't even see her."
"She went under the bus and that was it. It was too late. I couldn't stop it."
Giving evidence in his defence on Thursday, Marjoram said he felt so sorry for the victim's family and not a day went by he didn't think about that day.
Marjoram said he couldn't stop feeling "bad" for what he had done and would never drive a bus again.
He went to see a psychologist but just couldn't talk about it.
Mrs Black's brother Dominik Wakelin, speaking via video link from England, said his sister died in horrific and undignified circumstances, alone without her loved ones nearby.
"I cannot begin to imagine those final moments but what I do know is those last thoughts would have been of her children and the joy they brought to her life," Mr Wakelin said.
"I lie awake at night reliving the incident in absolute graphic detail. Every time I see a bus I wince."
Having handed down the sentence, Judge Wilson offered his condolences to Mrs Black's family and told them, "If I were you, I'd probably consider the sentence to be light and inadequate but there is no sentence I can give him according to law which in my view can be any more severe."
Marjoram and passengers on the bus were not injured.
