Police policy cloaked as officer faces court over crash

By MIKLOS  BOLZA

Details of the NSW Police safe-driving policy will be hidden from the public as a sergeant faces court over a fatal crash with an Indigenous teen.

Benedict Bryant, 46, was behind the wheel when Jai Kalani Wright rode the bike into his unmarked police vehicle in inner-city Sydney on February 19, 2022.

The 16-year-old was thrown off his bike and suffered critical head injuries, dying at Prince Alfred Hospital the following day.

Benedict Bryant, charged over a fatal crash with an Indigenous teen, leaves court in Sydney. (Miklos Bolza)

The sergeant was referred to the state Director of Public Prosecutions after an inquest and was hit with one count of dangerous driving occasioning death and a backup count of negligent driving occasioning death.

He appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday where lawyers for the NSW Police Commissioner successfully applied for non-publication orders over portions of the force’s safe driving policy and an interim safe driving report from May 2022.

Crown prosecutors and Bryant’s lawyers consented to the orders.

Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis was handed a certificate clarifying that the charges against the police sergeant would be pursued.

The parties will now enter negotiations to discuss whether a plea deal will be struck or any charges dropped.

Bryant has not yet made a plea but his lawyers previously told reporters he would fight the allegations.

The matter will return to court on December 12.

At a January inquest into the teenager’s death, NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan heard the bike Jai was riding had been stolen, along with a black Mercedes and a white BMW, about 7am on the day of the collision.

CCTV and in-car video footage played to the coroner’s court showed an unmarked silver Holden Commodore sedan swing around in front of the bike, which then hit the police car at high speed.

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AAP