A DRIVER who has pleaded guilty to a Bathurst CBD hit and run on Australia Day that left a pedestrian fighting for their life will be back in court in May to be sentenced.
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Sean Matthew Pitty, 43, of Osborne Avenue, West Bathurst, pleaded guilty in Bathurst Local Court on March 27, 2024 to:
- Dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
- Failing to stop and assist after vehicle causing impact.
- Driver not disclose identity.
Police documents before the court said Pitty drove a silver Toyota Aurion to a Bathurst CBD hotel at about 9.20pm on January 26, 2024 to pick up a passenger.
Pitty turned right into Howick Street from George Street while the 46-year-old victim was walking along the street.
Police said CCTV footage captured Pitty's vehicle drifting towards the victim before hitting the man with "heavy" impact.
Pitty braked briefly before driving away without stopping to help the victim, who lay motionless on the road, according to the police documents.
Two witnesses who saw the crash called emergency services and the victim was flown to Westmead Hospital with life-threatening head injuries.
The man had emergency surgery for a serious spinal injury and bleeding on the brain, which required part of his skull to be removed to release pressure.
At the time of publication, the man remained in a critical condition.
The following day, on January 27, police crash investigators identified a vehicle registration plate on CCTV vision and went to Pitty's West Bathurst home at about 3pm.
Once they arrived, the investigators said they saw the vehicle covered by a towel and bed sheet while parked under a carport.
Pitty was arrested and taken to Bathurst Police Station.
While executing a crime scene warrant, police said they saw significant damage to the vehicle along with hair fibres from the victim stuck in the windscreen.
Police documents said Pitty didn't tell police at first about his passenger, Matthew Raymond Thomas Pitty - who has been sentenced for concealing a serious indictable offence - but later said the 19-year-old was in the car at the time.
Sean Pitty told police he "just freaked out" when he hit the victim, and covered the car to protect it from hail damage.
A review of his phone showed he had a number of messages between himself and Simone Ann Harris, 41 - who has been sentenced for concealing a serious indictable offence - about hiring a business to fix the vehicle's windscreen.
Sean Pitty said it was because "you can't drive with a damaged windscreen".
Court appearance
PITTY appeared by audio-visual link (AVL) from prison to Bathurst Local Court to confirm his guilty pleas, which were submitted by Legal Aid solicitor Keith Kuan.
"He will accept the 'facts' as they are," Mr Kuan said.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Cameron Ferrier said medical records detailing the victim's injuries and condition will be tendered on the day of sentence, along with CCTV footage from the hit and run.
Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis ordered a full Sentence Assessment Report (SAR) for Pitty, who did not apply for bail.
He will return by AVL to Bathurst Local Court on May 9, 2024 to be sentenced, which is expected to take one hour.
Pitty will remain behind bars in the meantime.