17 hours ago
‘Future taken away': Family of slain cop Anthony Woods reveal heartbreak as man jailed for manslaughter
The family of a Perth cop killed in the line of duty when he tried to stop a car thief, before being dragged under the vehicle, have revealed their heartbreak at his future being 'taken away'.
Reagan Chown, 25, was sentenced in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday to 15.5 years' jail for the manslaughter of Constable Anthony Woods in June 2023.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 13.5 years behind bars.
Chown was behind the wheel of a stolen Holden Cruze when he reversed and dragged Constable Woods, 28, under the vehicle.
Chown had pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter but was found guilty by a jury earlier this year.
The court was told police had pursued the stolen vehicle, which had reached speeds of up to 83kmh in a 40km zone, before it stopped in a cul-de-sac in the Perth suburb of Ascot.
Constable Woods tried to arrest Chown and tasered him, but the 25-year-old put his car in reverse and hit the accelerator, dragging, trapping the officer under the car.
Constable Woods died from his injuries in hospital.
On Thursday, Constable Woods' mother Natalie read a victim impact statement to the court before Chown was sentenced.
Ms Woods said her heart was ripped away on the day Anthony died and she felt like she had 'died'.
'He was doing his duty and he was protecting his community and his future was taken away,' she said.
'Each anniversary, birthday and any moment we shared with him is now painful for us.'
Justice Joseph McGrath said during sentencing that Chown deliberately put his car into reverse and moved it backwards by putting his foot on the accelerator.
He said Chown was criminally negligent for the circumstances, rejecting his defence that being tasered made him not criminally responsible for Constable Woods' death.
'Police were still pursuing you to charge you with reckless driving, and you were driving a stolen vehicle,' Justice McGrath said.
'The police had every reason to form a belief that you intended to flee.
'You had reached the end of the road.
'That you are not criminally negligent is unacceptable.'
Justice McGrath said Woods was trapped under the car when Chown reversed at speed, losing control of the vehicle.
'I am satisfied you intended to flee from police and that you ignored the officers command and put the car into reverse and put your foot on the accelerator,' he said.
'You decided to get away and tried to escape.
'The movement of the car was done by you.'
'It would be fanciful to make a finding that Constable Woods somehow did wrong here, officers make split second decisions, (you) was speeding through Epsom Ave high on meth when officers intervened.
'This does not come close to some unauthorised discharge.'
Chown's defence lawyer told the court his client had become addicted to drugs working as a FIFO worker.
He said it was a combination of being away from his family, who lived regionally, having too much time off work in-between his shifts and his drug addiction – for which Chown said he was 'disgusted'.
Justice McGrath accepted that Chown did not intend to kill the officer.
