Thiago Tonti Fanti, left, who was found guilty of a hit and run incident, is escorted from Supreme Court after his sentencing. Photo: Graham Tidy
A drunk man who unwittingly mowed down two teenagers with his ute in Braddon will spend the next nine months in weekend detention.
Thiago Tonti Fanti, 36, was at the Multicultural Festival in Civic last year, and spent the night drinking at Mooseheads until 5am.
Fanti had planned to leave his car in the city, but changed his mind, instead getting behind the wheel while heavily intoxicated.
Hit and run victim Navjot Sekhon. Photo: Graham Tidy
He soon became lost in Braddon and was driving along Henty Street when he heard a noise and felt a bump.
The drunk driver looked to his left and saw his mirror was damaged.
He assumed he'd hit a parked car and drove away, scared of encountering the police.
Kyah "Burma" Han with his parents in hospital, recovering from the hit and run. Photo: Jay Cronan
What Fanti failed to see, however, was the two teenagers he had left sprawled on the road.
Without realising, the drunk driver had smashed into the backs of Navjot Sekhon and Kyah ''Burma'' Han, who were walking along the road next to a row of parked cars.
Both boys were crushed into one of the parked cars, and were left injured and lying on the road.
Police at the scene of the hit and run the following morning.
The injuries to Mr Han were critical.
He was left with a broken neck, fractures to his femur and wrist, lacerations to his head, two collapsed lungs, and soft tissue damage.
Residents at the nearby Rex Hotel heard the crash and rushed down to help, requesting an ambulance be called on the way.
A police officer drove the ambulance to Canberra Hospital to allow two paramedics to work on Mr Han.
The teenager spent more than a week in an induced coma to prevent further damage to his spine, and then months in a specialist Sydney hospital for rehabilitation and treatment to his spine.
He was eventually discharged, but still suffers lingering physical and psychological problems resulting from the incident.
Fanti first realised what he had done when he watched CCTV footage of the crime in the media, after it was released by police as they searched for the culprit.
He handed himself into police and made full admissions, later pleading guilty to the offence at the earliest opportunity.
Fanti has shown genuine and continued remorse for the crash.
He constantly asked police about the condition of Mr Han, wrote a letter of apology to the victims, and sought meetings with both.
Justice Hilary Pendold sentenced Fanti to two years and six months jail.
Nine months of that sentence will be served in periodic detention, with the rest suspended on condition of a 30 month good behaviour order.
