Benjamin Byrne-Quinn: Man jailed for hitting women while reversing ute into crowd outside Collie’s Crown Hotel

A woman who suffered “multiple, severe life-threatening injuries” after being pushed through a double brick wall of a Collie pub has spoken out in court of the event that “changed my life forever” as the driver was jailed for his offending. Benjamin Lawrence Byrne-Quinn, 35, was sentenced to five years in jail by the Bunbury District Court on Monday after previously pleading guilty to two counts of omitting to do an act as a result of which the life, health or safety of another person was endangered with intent to harm. Byrne-Quinn sobbed in the dock as the court was told of his offending that occurred in Collie during the evening of October 15, 2020. Byrne-Quinn was drinking alcohol with a male work associate at the Crown Hotel when a minor altercation occurred between him and another man that saw the hotel closed. After leaving the hotel, Byrne-Quinn was involved in another altercation that turned physical before he walked to his Toyota Hilux that was parked across the road. As he drove out of the carpark, the side of Byrne-Quinn’s vehicle was punched, prompting Byrne-Quinn to stop in the middle of the road and reverse his car at speed into the double brick wall of the hotel towards a crowd of people waiting outside. Georgia Moloney was unable to move away and was struck by the rear of the vehicle and pinned to the wall, suffering severe life-threatening injuries including broken ribs, spinal fractures, pelvic fractures, ruptures to her bladder and bowel, and significant blood loss. A second woman, Alexis Tate, was also hit by the rear tray of the Hilux and suffered abrasions to her legs and knees. Byrne-Quinn then drove off as he travelled towards the Collie Police Station to report that he had been assaulted. The court was also told there was cannabis in Byrne-Quinn’s system at the time of offending. Ms Moloney spoke out about the devastating impact of the incident by reading out her victim impact statement to the court where she said she “remembers all of the events like it was yesterday”. She also explained her extensive stint in hospital, announcing she was discharged from Fiona Stanley Hospital on her birthday in March, almost six months after the incident. She told the court she was no longer able to participate in sports like she used to do prior to the incident and expressed that she feels nervous and anxious whenever she is alone. “I should not have survived,” she said. “I had to learn how to walk and talk again and I cannot explain how difficult this was. “I watch my friends go out and play sports and socialise and I feel that enjoyment is now unreachable for me. “This is only part of my victim impact statement. “Times it by 10 and it still doesn’t describe the full impact.” In submissions, Byrne-Quinn’s defence counsel Karrie Louden submitted that her client felt ongoing genuine remorse for the two victims and had “taken every step” to address mental health concerns and his alcohol abuse, abstaining from consuming alcohol altogether. “This has been a huge wake-up call for Mr Byrne-Quinn,” she said. “He appreciates that life is precious and this incident has not only affected the victims and my client but the community of Collie as a whole.” In sentencing, District Court Judge Christian Miocevich said he could not see anything other than an immediate term of imprisonment being imposed due to the serious nature of the incident. Judge Miocevich also accepted there was no pre-meditation to Byrne-Quinn putting his car into reverse and did not intend to cause harm to Ms Moloney or Ms Tate. “(Mr Byrne-Quinn) will be released into the community without the injuries Ms Moloney will likely suffer for the rest of her life,” he said. “(Ms Moloney and Ms Tate) were innocent people that had nothing to do with your earlier altercation. “This is a tragic case. “You made a terrible error of judgement.” Byrne-Quinn will be eligible for parole in February 2025 and was disqualified from driving for two years. It comes after Ms Moloney spoke of the extent of the injuries she suffered after the incident and extensive stint in rehabilitation. Ms Moloney’s injuries were so severe, doctors could not sew her abdomen up for seven weeks - the time she spent in Royal Perth Hospital’s intensive care unit. It took 16 surgeries to finally close her wounds and it took five months of rehabilitation before she could walk again. “(I) remember flat lining multiple times and having an out-of-body experience, telling myself ‘no, not yet, you got this far’,” Ms Moloney told 7NEWS on Sunday night. “I remember thinking ‘I won’t make it, please tell mum and dad I love them’.”