By Jordanna Schriever
A veteran police officer involved in a 鈥渕inor collision鈥 in Adelaide鈥檚 CBD has been fined $2,000 in his absence, with his lawyer telling a court that his client was 鈥渦naware鈥 of the crash at the time.
Brevet Sergeant Daryl Wayne Mundy, 56, did not attend the Adelaide Magistrates Court for the hearing, instead sending his lawyer, Daniel Weekley, on his behalf.
Mr Weekley entered not guilty pleas to charges of failing to stop and give particulars to a person and police, over the February 7 crash, which occurred just before noon on Morphett Street, just north of Whitmore Square.
He said both cars were approaching roadworks which required merging, and there was 鈥渃ontact鈥 at very low spends of under 15kph.
鈥淭here was an argument through open windows, the merge was at low speed as traffic was giving way,鈥 he said.
Mr Weekley said his client was driving to work and that after watching footage of the collision he 鈥渁ccepts that he should have been aware at the time鈥.
He said if the sergeant 鈥 who had served as a police officer for 35-years 鈥 had been aware of the collision, he would have reported it.
Mr Weekley told the court Sergeant Mundy had an 鈥渆xceptional history鈥 of service as a police officer, including postings at Coober Pedy, northern suburbs patrols, investigations and that he had spent time as a peacekeeper in East Timor.
鈥淗e is a man of exceptional character 鈥 his life is not marked by a single event, but by years of unwavering service, quiet leadership and personal sacrifice,鈥 Mr Weekley said.
He asked the court to spare his client a conviction and said media reporting had affected both him and his family.
A police prosecutor told the court it was accepted Sergeant Mundy did not realise he was involved in an accident at the time.
The prosecutor said Sergeant Mundy was driving a vehicle registered to his wife, which received a 鈥渟cuff鈥 during the collision, while 鈥渕ore moderate鈥 damage was caused to the other car.
Dashcam vision of the incident, provided to the ABC, captured Mr Mundy in an exchange with the driver of the other car involved, Allan Kelson.
In sentencing, Magistrate Luke Davis said the offending was 鈥渁t the lower end of the scale鈥 and said the incident was a 鈥渂lemish, quite a minor one, and completely out of character鈥.
Mr Davis said the officer should not be treated different due to his job, and it was unlikely he would offend again.
He fined Sergeant Mundy and ordered he pay court costs, but did not record a conviction due to the officer鈥檚 鈥渋ncredible service to the community鈥.
He also noted Sergeant Mundy鈥檚 volunteering efforts and said there were 鈥渕any other fine attributes about him鈥.
Mr Kelson previously told the ABC he reported the incident to the Netley Police Station after following Sergeant Mundy for a short distance to see if he would stop.
He attended the hearing and, outside court, said he felt disappointed at the outcome.
鈥淚t just surprises me that this is how it all ended up,鈥 he said.
He said he was not told anything about the other driver for three months and was 鈥渧ery, very surprised鈥 when he discovered he was a police officer.
Mr Kelson said the back of his vehicle was damaged in the incident, which had since been repaired, and that he had also been issued an infringement over the crash.
In a statement, SA Police said they were 鈥渁ware of the court outcome today鈥 which would be referred for further investigation with the oversight of the Office of Public Integrity.