Harrowing court footage has been played of the moments after a golf cart driven by a husband on his honeymoon overturned on Hamilton Island, killing his new wife Marina.
Robbie Awad appeared in Prosperpine Magistrates Court in north Queensland on Thursday flanked by half a dozen supporters and celebrity defence lawyer Bryan Wrench and with a rosary hanging around his neck.
Awad pleaded guilty to three charges – the couple were not wearing seatbelts and were using a mobile phone – but is fighting a single charge of inattentive driving causing death.
Body camera footage was played in court for the first time after the incident on June 30, 2022, where Awad could be heard sobbing and telling police: “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear her.”
“She said to me: ‘Put the phone down!’. I said to her: what’s the worst that could happen? We’re driving at 5 km/h.
‘We turned around and it got stronger. Fuck, fuck.’
Defence lawyer Phil Boulton SC told the court the phone “was again in his pocket at the time of the accident”.
In the body camera video, Awad said Marina was “too good for me, she always did the right thing. She was the most caring…”
He asked police: “What are the chances (of an accident)? There can’t be a very high probability of that happening.”
Robbie Awad (center) arrives at the courthouse with an entourage of supporters, including celebrity defense attorney Bryan Wrench. Awad wore a rosary around his neck
Awad is above with his wife Marina on their wedding day.
A police officer replied: “They (the island’s famous buggies) tip over quite easily.”
Awad then described how the buggy picked up speed and how Marina fell out of the buggy and hit her head after he made a U-turn.
‘The thing wasn’t moving fast, then it sped up, that was while we were making the turn.
“He went outside and hit his head. How is it possible that the object didn’t fall somewhere else but on his head? I can’t believe this is happening.”
The police officer then told Awad that the golf cart is a “completely different” vehicle than a car.
“I can’t believe she’s dead,” Awad said. “How the hell did that happen?”
Mr Boulton argued that Awad was driving with due care and was trying to turn around because the battery was low.
Mr Boulton argued that the vehicle was “idling” as Awad made the U-turn and in an attempt to speed up, the boyfriend stepped on the accelerator.
A large group of supporters flanked Awad as he arrived at Prosperine Magistrates’ Court.
Guests at Hamilton Island often use golf carts to get around the island.
However, Mr Boulton claimed the vehicle suddenly roared back to life, sending Ms Hanna flying out of the pram in a “tragic accident”.
“He will say he was not going more than 2 or 3 kilometres per hour,” Boulton said.
“He had to step on the accelerator to achieve this. During the curve, the vehicle accelerated in a totally unexpected way.
‘The time elapsed between acceleration and the inflection point must be measured in two seconds, and by then the situation is already totally unrecoverable.’
The hearing is expected to last at least two days and is continuing.