A Blessington man was bailed after being caught driving while disqualified less than a day before he caused a crash that claimed the life of Trevallyn father Adrian Tudor.
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Dylan Leo Victor Lee, 23, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to his passenger Ashton James Whittingham, killing father-of-two Adrian Tudor, being a driver involved in a crash and failing to stop, and driving while disqualified.
On September 6, the day before the fatal crash in Launceston that claimed Mr Tudor's life, Lee was charged by police for driving while disqualified just after 10am.
Less than 16 hours later police found Lee's bail documents in a Ford Falcon sedan involved in a two-car crash at the intersection of Wellington and Frederick streets.
Lee was driving the sedan, which he'd only got the day before after swapping cars with another man, because he was offered $15 to drive his acquaintance Mr Whittingham to buy some marijuana.
Just before 2am, the killer stopped at the Wellington Street BP to put petrol in his car after the drug deal.
Crown prosecutor Luke Brett said Lee accelerated "harshly" as he left the petrol station, causing the car's tyres to spin.
Lee hit speeds up to 90 km/h as he drove past the Cock'n'Bull British Pub, with his passenger telling him to slow down because there was a red light ahead.
But Lee claimed he did not hear Mr Whittingham speak.
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Lee was going between 117 km/h to 123 km/h when he drove through a red light, hitting the driver's door of the victim's Hyundai station wagon.
The killer did not attempt to brake, instead speeding up and swerving when he saw Mr Tudor's car in a bid to avoid the crash.
Mr Tudor's car was pushed 51.1 metres as a result of the impact and he had to be cut from his vehicle by emergency services.
As Lee went to flee the scene he shouted to Mr Whittingham to also leave but his acquaintance was stuck, so Lee helped him out of the car before running away.
Defence lawyer Lucy Flanagan told the court Lee panicked, left the scene and called his mother
The court heard Lee's mother was not aware he'd been involved in a crash, but she drove from Blessington to pick him up.
"He wasn't trying to avoid police, he just wanted to speak to his mother first," Ms Flanagan said.
Mr Tudor and Mr Whittingham were taken to hospital by paramedics, but Mr Tudor died a short time later from a massive trauma to the right side of his chest.
Mr Tudor's wife Narelle said, in a victim impact statement, she was tortured by the thought of her husband being left to die.
"Our lives will never be the same," Ms Tudor said in the statement, which was read to the court by Mr Brett.
The court was told Lee was incredibly remorseful and regreted his actions. Lee's family packed the courtroom for his appearance on Wednesday.
Lee was remanded to reappear before Justice Robert Pearce for sentence on June 20.