Car was doing 127mph before 7MB fatal smash
Jessie Perry
(CNS): The 33-year-old man who was driving a black Audi that crashed and burst into flames on the West Bay Road in September 2015 was travelling at 127mph before the crash by the Seven Mile Public Beach. Jessie Perry (21), a passenger in the car, died about a week later, having sustained severe burns in the fire. Conroy Nairne, who was also injured in the collision, pleaded guilty after he was charged in February with causing death by dangerous driving and appeared for a sentence hearing Friday.
After hearing the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash from Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran and mitigation from Nairne’s attorney Nick Dixey, visiting judge, Justice Marlene Carter, said she would need time to consider the appropriate sentence.
Moran told the court that the crash was a direct result of the excessive speed. Reconstruction experts calculated this was around 127 mph at the point of the car’s collision on the road, which at the time had a 40mph limit.
The prosecutor said Nairne had first been recorded on CCTV further south on the West Bay Road doing over 104mph shortly before the smash, then by the Ritz-Carlton doing well over 50mph minutes before the smash. A witness said that between the Ritz and the crash site near public beach, the Audi had overtaken him at an extreme speed.
That driver, who was also a volunteer firefighter, was the first on the scene and one of the people who helped pull the couple from the blazing car, which had struck the curb, spun through the air and hit a tree before crash landing and bursting into flames.
Nairne admitted causing the death of Perry as a result of the speed, and his attorney told the court that it was a tragic and heartbreaking case. Perry and Nairne were in a relationship and the couple had been out celebrating her 21st birthday the night before the crash. Since her death he has remained close to her family, supporting them and Perry’s child financially. Dixey told the court that when Nairne goes to jail, the family will suffer another loss.
“Their bereavement is going to be exacerbated,” Dixey said, as he accepted that the Grand Court guidelines require a custodial sentence in case of death by dangerous driving.
Nairne is a hardworking man who has no criminal convictions, the lawyer said as he urged the judge to be lenient. However, he said he couldn’t argue that his client had caused the crash as a result of the excessive speed.
Nairne was bailed to return for sentencing, which is expected to be delivered on 3 August.
Just another cultural misunderstanding. You understand.
One hundred and twenty-seven miles an hour? That means (if my maths is right) he could have travelled from West Bay to George Town in between three and four minutes! What kind of madness is this – Mad Max!!! Where was the fear of the police, for goodness sake? Listen, let me tell you (as if you do, right?) these maniacs have NO FEAR of the RCIPS!! Until we get a functioning traffic police expect more of the same. We need ACTION by the police on our roads.What the heck’s going on? I will drive from Red Bay to GT tomorrow and see (and avoid) one moronic nutcase after the other, and not a flippin’ single copper in sight, let alone one pulling a low-life over. This is completely unacceptable.
I should have added, I’ve actually driven faster than that speed (legally) on an empty European multi-lane highway.The thought of anyone driving at the reported speed on the West Bay road terrifies me!
He should get a lot longer than the infamous expatriate lawyer, given all the cicumstances, but why is there no mention of any test for drugs and or alcohol, and why no photo of the driver?. All too often perpetrators of serious crimes in Cayman escape identification and this is wrong.
After hearing the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash from Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran and mitigation from Nairne’s attorney Nick Dixey, visiting judge, Justice Marlene Carter, said she would need time to consider the appropriate sentence.
What mitigation could there be in this case. Driving 127 mph in a 40 mph zone and directly causing the death of another. Those facts are not in dispute. Again what mitigation?
Maybe he has a lead foot.
Our roads are not designed for those kind of speeds…take all the stupid boy racers to Daytona and let them drive until they all kill themselves or suddenly realize they are not all Vettel…and don’t have his skills or law on their side
The problem with keeping our people and roads safe . How do we expect to win and make our roads safe , when we don’t have everyone on the same campaign .
If we have the Police and other groups campaigning and advocating for safe driving around the Islands , then when we have a case of pure stupidity and carelessness , then Lawyers and Judges changes that campaign by sending the wrong message to the public that it’s ok to be stupid on the road , because a Lawyer and Judge would save your hide from spending the maximum prison term .
The pleade by the Lawyer , we needs to see those things before we commit the stupid acts like what was done in this case , like out celebrating and driving 127 mph on a Island the size of Cayman , that’s asking for disaster . The bottom line is that we have to take RESPONSIBILITY for our own ACTIONS .
Consider the case of senior immigration officer Garfield “Gary” Wong, who has been charged with careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence of alcohol for an incident that occurred in December 2013. Going on four years later, Mr. Wong’s case is still pending in traffic court. A fair question: Why should any traffic offense take years to progress through our court system?
such a tragedy, what a way to impress a young lady. too bad the judge couldn’t give him a year for every mile over the speed limit
GO TO JAIL! You killed her and could have killed many, many more. What an idiot!
So basically this scumbag is paying off the family to avoid jail. What a piece of work, jail his ass for a minimum 10 years and a life time driving ban, (not that a ban means anything on this island with hundreds of uninsured, untaxed and unlicensed vehicles and drivers on the roads).
Why is he on bail? Are we waiting to see how many tourist he will mow down with his total disregard for the lives of others?
A 33-year old man should know better. The punishment MUST fit the crime. After a lengthy prison sentence he should be banned from driving for 10-years. The legal system must send a message. Deaths on Cayman roads are far too common.
127 mph and it’s a shame there was no ramp in the vicinity to help launch this idiot back home.
No, but he did launch some poor innocent thing on the road to heaven, and there was no turning back.
The road isn’t the path to heaven. The sky is.
It’s a rope to the sky, so it’s a rope.
Just one of the hundreds of idiots waiting to kill people on our roads today,
The island is way too small to allow cars speeding this fast, but how to accommodate??? Golf carts.?.?
Something with flubber
These speeding fools will find a way to kill themselves or others even in before stated golf cart good sir or lady.
We also need to control the crazy motorcycle riders, too! They think that the rules of the road do not apply to them as well! I see them overtaking constantly by speeding in the wrong lane against oncoming traffic. I hate to say it, but one of these days we’re liable to see a horrible accident caused by these “cowboy” motorcycle riders.
Then the cowboy will be a greasy spot on the road and a face on the back of 25 T-shirts and five cars.
Jail for life and your story and ugly face on tv every night.
We need to keep these crazy drivers off the road for life. There are many responsible drivers on the road and then there are those who endanger the lives of others. Let’s keep our roads safe for all.
You have to be excessively stupid to do that kind of speeding in that corridor and then coming up to a full bend in the road. Another one that escaped the darwin awards, his passenger wasn’t as lucky–RIP
Truly , an idiot at the wheel, to cost the life of not only the young female victim,but to endanger those in an area of visitors, hotels and residential addresses , not to mention other road users. Sorry .. I trust the sentencing is anything but lenient and accompanied by a long driving ban when released.
120+mph you won’t barley even make that corner bank on a motorcycle.
Well maybe some Einstein will try it.