FATAL SMASH VERDICT
A YOUNG Geelong man who caused a high-speed crash that killed his own father has been found to have committed offences, including culpable driving.
A Supreme Court jury on Monday returned verdicts that Brandon Gliddon, 22, was responsible for the offences of culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury.
The findings – which are not the same as guilty verdicts – were reached following a special hearing that was held after Gliddon was deemed unfit to stand trial.
He has been in custody since December 2019 when he crashed into the back of another vehicle while speeding along Thompson Rd in North Geelong.
His father, Michael Gliddon, had been hanging on to the outside of the vehicle and was thrown to his death as a result of the collision.
The female driver of the other car also sustained injuries in the crash.
During the hearing, which was held in Geelong, the jury was told the deadly incident happened late at night on December 1, 2019.
Gliddon had been at his father’s Hamlyn Heights home and was seen to be “agitated” following a call with his girlfriend, the court heard.
He exited the home and entered his stepmother’s Kia station wagon parked outside, while his father jumped on the car’s bonnet and yelled for his son to stop.
The court was told Gliddon continued driving as his father eventually held on to the vehicle’s roof racks while standing on a side step.
He drove on to Shannon Ave and through a red light at a major intersection as another motorist heard the 41-year-old victim screaming.
Gliddon continued driving the Kia on to Thompson Rd at speeds of up to 141km/h until he crashed into the back of a Volkswagen Golf near the APCO service station.
The force of the collision caused the Kia to roll and skid on its roof, while the other car was shunted off the road.
Michael Gliddon was killed instantly. His son, meanwhile, was captured on CCTV immediately fleeing the car after it came to a stop.
During the hearing, the court was told Brandon Gliddon suffers from an intellectual disability and has autism.
His lawyer conceded the driving was dangerous, but argued there was insufficient evidence to support the culpable driving charge.
In a closing address on Friday, prosecutor Neill Hutton urged jurors to find Gliddon had committed the offences.
“A reasonable person in the accused’s situation would have realised his or her conduct would’ve created a high risk of death or serious injury,” he said on Friday.
Gliddon will return to court at a later date.