Man cleared of fatal hit-run
A DRIVER has been cleared of any wrongdoing over a crash that killed Winchelsea teenager Tyler Dean.
A County Court jury yesterday found Billy-Jay Glynn not guilty on charges of dangerous driving causing death and failing to render assistance after an accident.
Mr Glynn was driving on Atkins Rd in Buckley when he crashed head-on into Mr Dean — riding a motorised pushbike — late on October 18, 2017.
The prosecution alleged Mr Glynn was driving without THE appointment of Geelong’s first new harbour master in 15 years has coincided with a raft of changes designed to improve harbour control and vessel movement in Corio Bay.
Captain David Shennan comes to the position as the Victorian Regional Channels Authority beds down a new headquarters that integrates harbour control operations and the authority’s head office in North Geelong.
A state-of-the-art marine traffic management system that will help ensure all vessels, including recreational craft, safely navigate the port waters of Geelong is also starting to be rolled out.
Involving new radar installations at Point Henry and near Portarlington, the system when fully operational will provide improved harbour control with complete oversight of vessel movement across Corio Bay.
Capt Shennan said that recreational boat registrations were increasing, bringing ongoing challenges to managing headlights on and fled the scene in his Nissan Patrol.
Mr Glynn, 23, of Wincheltraffic on the bay and preventing interference with commercial shipping.
“Our interaction with recreational craft is going to become even more important, which is why we are increasing the monitoring,” Capt Shennan said.
“With a 120m wide channel and a deep draught vessel, it can’t go anywhere else.”
Capt Shennan will be based sea, was adamant his headlights were activated and that he drove away because he thought he had struck a kangaroo.
The 12-person jury took less than three hours to reach their unanimous verdicts.
Mr Glynn broke down in tears as the decisions were announced shortly before 3pm.
During a trial that ran for almost two weeks, defence barrister Tim Sullivan argued there were inconsistencies in the prosecution case.
He said one key witness was “committed” to blaming Mr Glynn for the crash. out of the new headquarters overlooking the bay from Federal Mills Park, which is set to be operational from July 1.
The new marine manager and harbour master for the port of Geelong will oversee five marine controllers on a 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-aweek rotating roster.
The port’s harbour control was previously based at GeelongPort’s Corio Quay office
Mr Sullivan also claimed there was uncertainty about the prosecution’s allegation that Mr Glynn’s alternator was faulty and affecting the brightness of his headlights.
During the trial, the court was played a recording of a police interview in which Mr Glynn told officers that he believed he may have struck a person as he drove away from the scene.
“I just had that feeling in my gut that it was something other than a kangaroo,” he said.
Mr Dean, 18, was riding a bike without headlights in the right-hand lane when he was and the Victorian Regional Channels Authority has been in Ryrie St for the past nine years.
The authority’s CEO, Michael Harvey, said bringing all the marine expertise under the one roof would be more effective and efficient with clear operational and management accountability.
“Importantly, this new location gives us a clear line of struck and killed on the unlit road.
Mr Glynn had been returning home with his girlfriend after the pair had been looking for baby clothes at Waurn Ponds shopping centre.
Many relatives from both families packed the courtroom to hear yesterday’s verdicts.
Outside court, Mr Dean’s mother fought back tears as she described her “irreplaceable” son.
Jeynelle Dean-Hayes said Tyler was a popular teenager who had just started a panel beating apprenticeship at the time of his death. sight to the shipping channels we manage,” Mr Harvey said
This will be the third Victorian port at which Captain Shennan, 67, has served as harbour master, following stints at the ports of Melbourne and Portland.
Before coming to Australia in 2008, he was the deputy chief executive and harbour master at Harwich Haven Authority in the UK.
“He was funny and he was caring. He was the light in a lot of people’s lives,” she said.
“He was the kind of kid that, if one of his friends was struggling, he would be on the phone to them via Skype in his room until four in the morning just to make sure they were OK.”
Following the verdicts, Judge Gregory Lyon acknowledged the “range of emotions” that would be felt by the families involved in the case.
“I signalled at the beginning of the trial that this would not bring joy to anyone,” Judge Lyon said.