Overview
- Judge Jane Culver convicted Sergeant Benedict Bryant of dangerous driving occasioning death at Darlinghurst District Court.
- The court accepted that Bryant placed his unmarked car in the trail bike’s path without lights or sirens, creating a roadblock that caused the collision.
- Evidence included a police operator’s instruction a minute earlier not to pursue and CCTV showing the bike travelling about 68 km/h in a 40 km/h zone.
- The offence carries a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment, and Bryant is due to return for sentencing on April 17, 2026.
- A supporter signalled an appeal of the verdict, while Jai Wright’s family and First Nations advocates welcomed the decision, with legal experts describing it as a historic first in an Aboriginal death-in-custody case.