A man who had been drinking for ’10 hours straight’ ran a red light and killed two women — before leaving them to die on the road.
Unlicenced driver Shane Bradley Pearce, 50, pleaded guilty in the WA Supreme Court to killing Lauren Prothero and her friend Paige Ward on May 29 last year.
Pearce recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.210, more than four times the legal limit, after the crash, in Perth‘s south.
Ms Prothero and Ms Ward, both 27, suffered catastrophic injuries when Pearce slammed into their car after running a red light at 123km/h – more than 40km/h above the speed limit.
Lauren Prothero (pictured right) and Paige Ward were innocent victims in a double fatality in Perth last year
Shane Bradley Pearce was unlicensed and four times over the limit when he killed the women in Perth
In the lead-up to the crash, the scaffolder spent the day drinking after being rained off at the building site where he was working.
The court heard Pearce was aggressive to witnesses at the scene and rendered no assistance to the women. He was later arrested in the car park of a nearby fast food outlet.
Ward, who was married just four months earlier, died at the scene, with close friend Prothero dying a few hours later in hospital.
When he was interviewed the following day, Pearce told police he ‘could not recall’ anything about the crash.
READ RELATED: Coronavirus symptoms update: French man suffers this sexual symptom – what is it?
Pearce chalked up seven convictions for driving under the influence dating back to 1992, the court heard.
Lauren Prothero (pictured right) passed away in hospital after suffering catastrophic injuries in the senseless accident
Paige Ward – who died at the scene – was married just four months before the double fatality
Defence lawyer Paul Holmes said his client wanted to be accountable for his behaviour, and at the time of the crime was ‘struggling’ after the recent death of his brother from cancer.
Pearce also said to police he was ‘sorry for what he had done’ and that he was a ‘coward’.
He has since vowed to never touch a drop of alcohol for the rest of his life and ‘he will take the punishment he deserves.’
Pearce, who pleaded guilty as he ‘didn’t want to drag it out any longer for the victims’, will be sentenced on Wednesday.
He has been in custody since his arrest last year.
The confronting scene at Cooloongup last May – both Lauren Prothero and Paige Ward passed away after the accident
Source:
