The families of a young couple tragically killed in a crash near Dubbo in NSW's Central West have spoken publicly for the first time since truck driver Robert Crockford was jailed for causing their deaths.
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Nineteen-year-old university student Hannah Ferguson of Gulargambone and boyfriend Reagen Skinner, 21, were in a car stopped at roadworks in January 2018 when Crockford's heavy vehicle struck them from behind.
Crockford pleaded not guilty to two counts of dangerous driving causing death, as well as three counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and to injuring another seven people in the crash.
The bereaved families of Hannah and Reagen were present during the 14-day trial in March, with a jury ultimately finding Crockford guilty of all 12 charges.
They returned to Dubbo District Court on Thursday to hear Judge Nanette Williams sentence Crockford to a maximum aggregate jail term of nine years and six months, with a non-parole period of five years and four months.
Deanna Ferguson, mother of Hannah, told Australian Community Media the sentencing was "bittersweet as nothing will bring our beautiful Hannah back".
It is now time to move on and heal as best we can.
- Richard Wellsmore
"However this finishes a long hard journey and we can now move forward with the fact that justice has been done," she said.
With the plea of not guilty, the proceedings only came to a close more than two and a half years after the crash.
On Friday, Richard Wellsmore, uncle and father figure to Reagen, said it was one thing to "kill our children" but quite another to "drag us through this gruelling process on top".
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He said on Thursday night the families and supporters came together for dinner and talked about "anything other than the crash or the court case".
"Reagen would have loved it," he said.
"It is now time to move on and heal as best we can."
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
