Latest news with #AdamSutton
ABC News
17-07-2025
- ABC News
Snapchatting driver Peter Agius jailed for crash that killed Adam Sutton
A Victorian driver who was distracted by a series of Snapchat messages and caused a crash that killed a Glengarry man will spend almost a decade behind bars. On Thursday Traralgon man Peter Agius, 23, was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court to nine years and eight months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of six years. He has already served 122 days. In March Agius was found guilty by a jury of culpable driving causing the death of livestock agent Adam John Sutton and negligently causing serious injury to Mr Sutton's son, Darcy, on January 31, 2023. Mr Sutton, 35, had collected six-year-old Darcy from his first day of school when Agius's vehicle collided with their car at the intersection of Traralgon-Maffra and Farmers roads in Glengarry. Mr Sutton died at the scene. Darcy was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital with critical injuries. He suffered a permanent brain injury. The court heard Agius sent 44 Snapchats and received 41 responses while driving down the busy road before the crash. One of those replies came 20 seconds before the crash. In his sentencing, Judge Kevin Doyle said the circumstances amounted to an "accident waiting to happen". "You should have seen Mr Sutton slow to turn — you should have slowed down in response," he said. "You failed to because you were not paying attention on the road. Judge Doyle said the crash was a "complete tragedy" for all the people involved. The courtroom was filled with Mr Sutton's grieving family members on Thursday. In a previous hearing Mr Sutton's mother, Leanne Sutton, said her son's death was a "harrowing experience" that no parent should ever have to go through. "It's a living nightmare, which sadly can only be truly understood with a lived experience," she said in her victim impact statement. Ms Sutton added there were "so many emotional scars" that would never heal. She said about 1,000 people attended Mr Sutton's funeral and 2,000 more watched the service online. Ms Sutton's husband, Ray, said the loss of their son had put the family in a state of shock and that family functions had never been the same since.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- The Guardian
Driver who killed father and injured son, 6, sent 44 Snapchat messages while driving 100km/h before fatal crash
A young man had his head buried in his phone and, when he looked up, he had killed a beloved father and injured his son, a court has been told. Peter Agius sent 44 Snapchats while driving just 12km at 100km/h down a busy Victorian country road in early 2023. He received 41 replies, including one 20 seconds before the deadly crash. His victim, Adam Sutton, had just picked up his six-year-old son from school when their car was struck by Agius's vehicle in January 2023. Sutton died at the scene while his son was taken to hospital with critical injuries. The boy was left with a permanent brain injury. County Court judge Kevin Doyle labelled Agius's offending as 'extreme inattention' as he jailed him on Thursday for at least six years. 'A life was lost and a young child's life has been damaged by your actions,' the judge told Agius, aged 23, who cried upon learning his fate. Agius had fought the two charges – of culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury – during a jury trial in regional Victoria. He claimed to have dropped his sunglasses while driving and looked down to pick them up, when the crash occurred. His lawyers argued Agius should be convicted of dangerous driving causing death and serious injury, not the more serious charges. But prosecutors argued Agius was not paying attention to the road because he was sending and receiving dozens of Snapchat messages while driving, which was grossly negligent behaviour. Analysis of Agius's phone revealed he sent and received 85 Snapchat messages while driving about 12km from his worksite to the crash scene at the intersection of Traralgon-Maffra and Farmers roads in Glengarry. A jury ultimately convicted Agius of the culpable and negligent driving charges in April 2025. The judge on Thursday said Agius was 'an accident waiting to happen' and he would have seen Sutton waiting to turn right if he was paying attention. 'The duty of every driver is to pay proper attention to the road – you didn't do that,' he said. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Agius had a history of dangerous driving, including a fine and loss of licence for dangerous driving while being pursued by police in 2022. In 2020, he was ordered to undertake a road trauma awareness course for careless driving. In February 2024, he was caught driving while on bail for the offending which caused Sutton's death, despite having been banned. 'Twice before this catastrophic collision, you had engaged in incredibly stupid driving offences,' the judge said. 'You should have understood the basic duties of driving from these experiences, but you did not.' Sutton's family and friends told the court he was 'deeply loved as a husband, father, son, brother and friend to many people', Doyle said. Leanne Sutton said 1,000 people attended her son's funeral, with 2,000 watching online, and his death had left 'an enormous void' in the lives of all who knew him. His father, Ray Sutton, said the pain and distress caused by Adam's death was 'indescribable' and not a day went by that he did not think about 'the life sentence we've been given'. Agius was jailed for a maximum of nine years and eight months. He has served 122 days of that sentence and will be eligible for parole after serving six years.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- ABC News
Peter Agius faces court over crash that killed Glengarry father Adam Sutton
A Victorian court has been told a driver who caused a collision that killed a young father in Gippsland in 2023 was using his phone to send Snapchat messages while behind the wheel. Livestock agent Adam Sutton, 35, had just collected his son Darcy from his first day of school when they were involved in a car crash at the intersection of Traralgon-Maffra and Farmers roads in Glengarry on January 31, 2023. Mr Sutton died at the scene and the six-year-old was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital with critical injuries. On March 24 Peter Agius, 23, was found guilty of culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury. In her sentencing submissions on Tuesday prosecutor Sarah Thomas told the Melbourne County Court that Agius continued to deny the gross negligence he had been proven guilty of. She told the court there was evidence that he participated in 85 Snapchat messages during a journey of about 15 minutes prior to the crash on the country road. Ms Thomas said Agius admitted his offending was dangerous, but denied it was "criminally negligent". "He persists his driving wasn't impacted from his mobile phone use, said his phone was in his pocket," she said. Agius's defence lawyer told the court her client suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the crash, was remorseful for his actions and accepted that the collision had a devastating impact on many people. She said Agius made door handles while in custody at Fulham Prison, was undertaking a welding course and was a good worker. Judge Kevin Doyle said he would consider Agius's personal circumstances. "This was phone use to an extent a jury found it criminally negligent," Judge Doyle said. In a victim impact statement read to the court at a previous hearing, Mr Sutton's mother, Leanne Sutton, said no parent should ever have to endure losing a child, which had been a "living nightmare". She told the court she was yet to read and respond to the flowers and tributes she received. "I'm lost how to adequately convey the death or trauma," Ms Sutton said. She said Mr Sutton was "widely liked", incredibly kind and had a generous nature. "He had such a sparkle in his blue eyes," Ms Sutton said. Mr Sutton's father, Ray Sutton, said his family's lives were changed forever after his son's death. Mr Sutton's brother, Dean, said in his victim impact statement that he was unable to process the loss until the viewing before the funeral and that family gatherings always highlighted the loss of his sibling. "I will always live with questions," he said. Agius has been remanded in custody and is expected to return to court for sentencing on July 14.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
RNR Tire Express Announces 9th Annual Mother's Day Giveaway with Grand Prize of Two New Buick Envistas
Nominations Open Through May 10 as Lucky Moms to be Awarded Mega Grand Prize and Additional Giveaways TAMPA, Fla., April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RNR Tire Express (RNR), the leading franchise retailer for tires and custom wheels, is now accepting nominations for its 9th annual 2025 Mother's Day Giveaway, one of the automotive industry's most celebrated contests. The annual giveaway is intended to recognize the incredible stories and journeys of those mothers who give all of themselves to their families every day. Those wishing to shine a spotlight on a special, deserving nominee can submit their story using the link below by midnight on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Keeping in mind that the nominee must be a mother, and over the age of 18. This year's grand prize features two 2025 Buick Envistas which will be awarded to two deserving mothers. In addition to nominations to win a new car, other prizes to be awarded include spa day packages, free sets of tires, and gift cards with prizes varying by location with nearly 150 participating stores. To nominate a special mother in your life, please visit "To be able to see this giveaway reach its ninth year is truly special and a testament to the admiration that our team and customers have for mothers," said Adam Sutton, CEO of RNR Tire Express. "We are humbled and touched each year to hear the special stories of moms from around the country that demonstrate selflessness and dedication to their families and communities. This initiative is a meaningful way to celebrate and show appreciation for the incredible impact that mothers have in our lives." Since the inception of this nationwide campaign, 10 lucky mothers have been surprised with brand-new cars while nearly $300,000 in additional giveaways have been awarded to moms. This giveaway works in tandem with RNR's Father's Day and Breast Cancer Awareness giveaways as part of the brand's larger commitment to community giveback initiatives. For more information regarding RNR Tire Express, please visit For more information regarding RNR franchise opportunities, please visit About RNR Tire Express:RNR Tire Express is a national franchise retailer of quality tires and custom wheels known for their customer-centric, flexible lease-to-own payment options. Established in 2000 by rent-to-own veteran Larry Sutton, RNR has grown to over 200 locations in 29 states. The brand ranked No. 186 in Franchise Times' Top 400 list for 2024 and was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top Brands for Multi-Unit Owners. Most recently, RNR ranked No. 245 in Entrepreneur magazine's 2025 Franchise 500 ranking and #10 in the Automotive category. RNR Tire Express is seeking qualified multi-unit franchisees to help expand the franchise into prime markets throughout the country. Media Contact: Seth Goodman, Fishman Public Relations, sgoodman@ or 224-723-9645 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE RNR Tire Express Sign in to access your portfolio
