Two families have clashed at the sentencing of a self-described "drift king", who was behind the wheel when he crashed, killing his teenage girlfriend.
A jury found Ameen Hamdan not guilty of culpable driving charges over the crash that left 16-year-old Alexis Saaghy dead, but guilty of two negligent driving charges instead.
Hamdan - who walked out of court smiling and telling his supporters he was "free" after the jury's September verdicts - faced the ACT Supreme Court for sentencing on Monday.
The court's public gallery was nearly full of loved ones and supporters from both families.
At one point, the court was interrupted by a heated exchange between the two families' members while Alexis' sister was reading her victim impact statement. Alexis' father accused one of Hamdan's supporters of laughing.
Family members had to be separated and extra security personnel and police officers were called.
During the trial, the court heard Hamdan was driving a Nissan Navara that carried Alexis and two friends, 16 and 18, in the early hours of October 31, 2020.
Hamdan, 18 at the time, was driving along Longmore Crescent in Wanniassa in wet conditions.
Prosecutors alleged that Hamdan, who was not intoxicated, was speeding at between 81km/h and 100km/h in the 50km/h zone, when the car began sliding on a left-hand bend. It crashed into a tree.
A defence collision expert said the speed was between 41km/h and 60km/h.
All four occupants were injured. Alexis - who was sitting in the front passenger seat, where the damage was worst - sustained severe head trauma and internal injuries.
She was taken to the Canberra Hospital. Her life support was turned off three days later.
'Stranded in an unfair conundrum'
On Monday, Alexis' father, Joel Saaghy, read his victim impact statement in which he detailed the events before, during, and after his daughter's death.
"We should be celebrating the next chapters of Alexis' life - adulthood, graduating high school, ready to take on the world," he said.
"Instead we have been left stranded in an unfair conundrum. How does the world keep moving when ours has stopped?"
Mr Saaghy said he was amazed by his daughter's selflessness and humility.
"She was a genuine, caring and empathetic person ... always willing to help those less fortunate than her," he said.
"She advocated and championed for the fairness and equity of all people without any judgement."
Mr Saaghy then took the court and those in the public gallery to his vivid memories of attending Canberra Hospital and Alexis' death.
"The sight was distressing and daunting," he said.
"Alex laid there heavily sedated, tubes in and out of her body.
"Her face, arms, and body covered in lacerations, bruises, abrasions. Bandages hiding away the more severe injuries."
He said there were "numerous machines and monitors measuring her vitals, beeping and blinking away" and that her shattered pelvis was "held together by the rods and pins".
Mr Saaghy said doctors conducted a procedure on her brain, but in the end, the trauma was too severe.
"Her body was a damaged shell. Hope was gone," he said.
Mr Saaghy said he had been diagnosed with a number of mental health conditions, including PTSD and depression.
Looking at Hamdan, he said: "You were an adult, Alexis was a minor. You should've kept her safe".
Daughter 'slaughtered'
Alexis' mother, Claire Wood, said her daughter "was slaughtered and died a completely avoidable death".
"I have no forgiveness. My child was taken in the night by an adult without my knowledge or consent," Ms Wood said.
"No written or spoken words can describe to the fullest extent all the light, kindness, generosity, and aspiring future life potential of Alexis."
Alexis' grandmother, Maria Mura, spoke as she held a framed photo of the 16-year-old.
"Alexis was my first grandchild and we had a close and special relationship," she said.
Ms Mura, too, looked at Hamdan when she said: "To my knowledge, you have not expressed any remorse, care, sorrow or responsibility for the death of Alexis".
"I'll never forgive you for robbing me of my baby and destroying me and my family," she said.
As she returned to the gallery, holding the framed photo, she told Hamdan's supporters to "have a good look".
Six other impact statements, paying tribute to Alexis, were also read to the court.
The court heard during the trial that shortly before the crash, Alexis recorded a video inside the vehicle in which the song Tokyo Drift played and Hamdan called himself the "drift king".
Hamdan had pleaded not guilty to culpable driving causing death and culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm, with the latter charge relating to one of the back-seat passengers.
Judge faced with difficult choice
In his sentencing remarks, Justice Michael Elkaim said he considered a range of factors, including a pre-sentence report, medical evidence, a letter by Hamdan, and positive references for the offender.
"I have no doubt that the offender feels remorseful," Justice Elkaim said.
"The fact that he genuinely has no memory of the collision does not mean that he does not regret it.
"But of course there is another side to the story. The act of negligence has had the most terrible consequences: a young woman was killed."
He said had the offender been convicted of culpable driving, he would "unquestionably have been put in prison and for some time".
"The fact that the driving was negligent, but not culpable, does not extinguish the possibility of a full-time prison sentence," Justice Elkaim said.
He was ultimately faced with the question of whether the nature and consequences of the offending and the need for general deterrence exceeded the offender's positive chances of rehabilitation.
"I have found the answer to this question very difficult to reach," he said.
Justice Elkaim said his tendency was in favour of full-time jail in particular because of public deterrence; however, he was deterred by two factors, including that the prosecution did not advocate for that sentence.
He ultimately sentenced Hamdan to a two-year intensive corrections order.
"I'm sorry if you are not satisfied with the result, but I would ask you all to respect each other and to leave court with dignity and respect," he told those in the public gallery.
Hamdan was also fined $2500 and disqualified for breaching a condition of his provisional licence, which was not to have more than one non-family peer with him in the vehicle.
Supporters of Hamdan confronted this Canberra Times reporter following the sentencing.
As it happened
- 'Tragedy on many levels': P-plater called himself 'drift king' before fatal crash
- Experts disagree about speed after crash kills driver's girlfriend
- Self-appointed 'drift king' in fatal crash denies knowing Fast and Furious movie
- 'Drift king' thought 'he was invincible' but 'failed utterly' in fatal crash: lawyer
- Girl 'ripped from this planet' as 'drift king' acquitted of primary fatal crash charges
