Connon Verdict result of State Procrastination

The jury returning a verdict in the Wendy Connon case is congratulated for undertaking a difficult task. Candor Trust say that the millions spent on the manslaughter trial, and the injuries to some passengers and the death to one child would far less likely have been allowed to occur in Australia.

Ms Connon would have been exposed to education there about the risks of driving within 3 hours of cannabis use, and the many like her are subject to the deterrence of random drug testing. The evidence shows her use was likely proximal to driving which is dangerous, as tests taken showed levels sustaining intake of a complete joint still existed at 1.40pm (a full hour after the crash).

The evidence said that chronic users would not be likely to have even 1mg/L blood 12 hours after use, but that Ms Connon had 4.5mg when tested at 5.10pm (5 hours after her crash). The forensic scientist testified this meant that she still had the equivalent of 1 joint in her blood 3.5 hours earlier at 1.40pm, nearly an hour after the crash. As she was unconscious, the intake must have occurred prior to the crash.

The evidence of a marginal misjudgement of speed to take a curve Ms Connon knew well, and of failure to use a car seat for but one of several restrained children tended to show a cumulative picture several careless things adding up to gross negligence (required for manslaughter). And Candor asserts that either of the two proximal fatal facts - of no restraint and of slightly excess soeed for safely negotiating the bend (per crash investigators) would not have occurred had Ms Connon not been drug affected. Cannabis affects by deepening spatial judgement.

The failure to address drug driving is the crux pivotal cause of this tragedy, and for this Ms Connon can not be held to have grossly departed from what a reasonable person does. Thousands of reasonable people drive around causing accidents on dope every year. They just have no idea it is a major risk - or have had myths it is a low risk surrounding them go unchallenged by a negligent triad of Police, ACC and Transit.

Candor members who have worked ceaselessly for 5 years pushing for public education - often promised - often renegged upon - say they should all be apologising to Konrad, Ms Connon, her other victims and the taxpayers now funding forced to throw people who've never had any desire to kill family members into jail.

ENDS

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