The five-year jail sentence given to the driver, according to the mother of a six-year-old girl who was killed in a buggy crash, was a “slap in the face.”
On September 11, 2021, the buggy carrying seven children under the age of ten crashed without a seatbelt or helmet. Olivia Stevens was one of them.
On a farm near Rosedale, in the Gippsland district of Victoria, Damien Gibson, 36, was operating the overweight car when he made a sudden bend, causing it to roll.
After being thrown from the buggy, Olivia was crushed beneath it.
She was transported by air to the Royal Children’s hospital in Melbourne after suffering severe injuries, where she passed away.
Gibson’s five children were among the six other passengers who made it out alive with only minor wounds.
Gibson accepted the county court judge Richard Maidment’s suggested penalty and entered a guilty plea to reckless driving causing Olivia’s death.
Gibson was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday, and he watched the proceedings via a video link from his cell.
He has spent almost eight months in jail and will be available for parole in just over two years.
According to Maidment, it was evident that Gibson had acted with egregious negligence when he put seven unrestrained children in a car meant to accommodate just four persons.
The judge pointed out that he didn’t ask Olivia’s mother, who had dropped her off at a play date while she picked up her son from a party, for permission.
Gibson made a sudden turn while aware that the ground was uneven, and he did not give any of the kids helmets.
The judge declared, “The consequences of your negligence are tragic.”
While acknowledging that Olivia’s family had suffered a “utterly devastating” loss, Maidment insisted he must refrain from sentencing Gibson harshly.
He mentioned that the 36-year-old had pled guilty, demonstrating his regret, and that he had no past convictions.
Additionally, the judge deemed Gibson’s driving offense to be at the less serious end of the culpable driving spectrum because it did not pose a risk to other drivers.
Yana Stevens, Olivia’s mother, stated that Gibson’s crime was terrible and that laws needed to be changed to guarantee that those who commit similar crimes face more severe punishments.
She told reporters outside of court, “It’s a slap in the face for taking away such a precious child, our only daughter.”
“We essentially left her for twenty minutes, and we won’t be seeing her again.”
Stevens described Olivia as a smart, spunky youngster who saw the best in everyone.
According to Stevens, “she knew how to pull even the most depressed person out of their shell and show them the beauty and light in life.”
“Mum, life is all about love,” she used to remark. It everything comes down to love.
One of Olivia’s favorite creatures, a pink flamingo, will be immortalized in the form of a statue at her former school, Gippsland Grammar, to honor the six-year-old.