Sophie Delezio. Patrick Riviere / Getty Images
SYDNEY - The elderly driver who hit Sophie Delezio on a pedestrian crossing has escaped a prison term, with the magistrate saying there would be "absolutely no benefit to the community" in jailing him.
John George Sharman, 81, was disqualified yesterday from driving for a year and put on an
18-month good behaviour bond over the May 5 accident that left Sophie, granddaughter of former Television NZ chief Dr Allan Martin, with near-fatal injuries for a second time.
Manly Magistrate Andrew George said it was "an extraordinary coincidence of misfortune" that the 5-year-old had fallen victim to a second car accident.
Sophie was being helped in a pushchair across a pedestrian crossing at Seaforth, in Sydney's north, when she was hit by Sharman's car and thrown 20m by the impact.
She spent almost five weeks in hospital recovering from a serious lung injury and fractures to her spine, ribs, jaw and collarbone.
Sophie was still recuperating from a 2003 accident in which 70-year-old driver Donald McNeall suffered a seizure and ploughed into her Fairlight childcare centre.
She suffered horrific burns and lost some of her fingers and both feet after that car burst into flames.
Mr George said Sophie's recovery from those injuries "had seen her raised to national prominence as a benchmark for courage and resilience in the face of adversity", and the May collision again drew her to attention.
He said Sharman, a widower and war veteran, "very nearly caused the child's death" but he noted that the offence appeared less serious than other cases of its kind, and Sharman had pleaded guilty.
Sharman told police the sun was "like a big red ball" in his eyes, and he never saw the girl. "He's still very distressed about what happened to Sophie and he is very sorry," said his barrister, Shane McAnulty.
- AAP
