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3w ago

Tradie Gets Five-Year Sentence for Chermside Hit-and-Run and Arson

The judge said the five-year concurrent term reflected an elaborate stolen-car deception followed by deliberate destruction of evidence.

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a burning car on a suburban street
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Overview

  • In March 2024, Scott ran a red light at Kittyhawk Drive and Murphy Road in Chermside, striking 72-year-old Ian Victor Colwell as he crossed on a green pedestrian signal.
  • After briefly stopping and making eye contact with a witness, Scott fled the scene before wiping CCTV footage, dousing his car with accelerant and setting it alight in Wavell Heights.
  • Court records show the 37-year-old had amassed more than 40 traffic-related convictions since 2006 and was serving a suspended sentence at the time of the collision.
  • Colwell’s family and veteran community described his death as brutal and spoke of a profound void left by his loss as a former principal and RSL mentor.
  • Scott will be eligible to apply for parole this November, a ruling that has refocused debate in Queensland over the management of repeat driving offenders.