A bus driver whose "sustained inattention" at the wheel led to the death of a young pedestrian in Sydney will serve up to two years and six months behind bars.
Michael Yammouni, 45, was found guilty at a judge-alone trial in November on one count of dangerous driving occasioning death after his bus hit and killed 24-year-old Mimi Feng in Bondi Junction on December 16, 2020.
NSW District Court Judge Georgia Turner on Friday imposed the head sentence with a non-parole period of 18 months on Yammouni for what she described as "sustained inattention and complete lack of care" in the incident.
Judge Turner said Yammouni had "ample opportunity" to observe Ms Feng before he ran over her at the busy commercial and shopping area.
Yammouni's bus was stopped for 26 seconds during which time he had a clear view of pedestrians before the fatal collision, the court was told.
"The offender did not keep a proper lookout for pedestrians," the judge said.
Yammouni was also criticised for continuing to drive after initially hitting Ms Feng, with the court told he only came to a halt after hearing her scream then running her over with the bus.
The court was told after hitting Ms Feng at between 14 and 20km/h, Yammouni swore to himself but did "not immediately stop the bus".
The judge rejected Yammouni's claims to police Ms Feng "came out of nowhere" and he stopped the bus straight away after the collision.
She said Yammouni had tried to minimise his conduct by asserting the victim fell into his blind spot, finding he had not properly acknowledged his role in the crime.
"His remorse is something less than full remorse," Judge Turner said.
Yammouni, a problem gambler and ex-croupier, had been sad, anxious and angry since the incident and had suffered post traumatic stress disorder, depression and was a suicide risk, the court was told.
He was unlikely to reoffend and had good prospects of rehabilitation given the personal impact of the crime on him, the judge said.
Ms Feng's mother, who submitted a victim impact statement, had been shattered by her daughter's death that had "left a void that could not be filled", the court was told.
The victim's mother had suffered a devastating impact of the death of her only child, including the onset of "broken heart syndrome".
"She has limited her life to grieving for her daughter," the judge said.
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