The sentencing of a speeding Indian driver who killed an Adelaide mother-of-two has been delayed after he claimed he is unable to practice his Sikh religion in prison.
Bhupinder Singh, 23, was going at extreme speeds when he slammed into a car driven by Christine Sandford, 40, on March 18, 2023, and previously told a court he did not help her after the crash because his turban had flown off.
Singh was due to be sentenced for aggravated causing death by dangerous driving in the South Australian District Court on Friday, but Judge Paul Muscat said he was forced to consider an email sent by Singh’s lawyer claiming he was already suffering “undue hardship” since being remanded in custody two weeks ago.
Judge Muscat said the claims made by the lawyer, Paul D’Angelo, were “quite plausible”, and Mr D’Angelo told the court there was evidence his client had been “unable to practice his religion” and that Sikhism involved “deep spiritual meaning and commitment”, The Advertiser reported.
The prosecution disagreed, saying the care of a prisoner was a matter for the correctional system, not the courts, and argued there was legal precedent showing religious issues did not need to be considered during sentencing.
But Judge Muscat disagreed, and said the matters detailed in the email demonstrated that Singh was experiencing hardship behind bars as a result of his religious beliefs.
“What has occurred since he has been in custody will make his time in custody more onerous than would otherwise be the case,” he said.
“That’s clearly a personal circumstance for this defendant, like a mental illness would make a person’s sentence more onerous.”
He apologised to the families of both Ms Sandford and Singh, and adjourned sentencing until June 6, ordering Singh to be remanded in custody until then.
During sentencing submissions last month the same court heard Singh’s Ford Mustang had been going at extreme speeds of between 150 and 161km/h when he T-boned Ms Sandford’s Holden Commodore, and did not render assistance at the scene.
Ms Sandford was only minutes from her Windsor Gardens home after making a quick trip to the shops to buy some cooking oil when her car was struck by Singh’s.
Mr D’Angelo told the court his client did not help his dying victim because his Sikh headwear had come off.
“My client’s turban had flown off his head, he was in a state of shock,” he told the court.
“As a Sikh it’s almost like being naked in public.”
The court also heard that Singh, who maintained his innocence for more than two years before suddenly pleading guilty in April, lied to police at the scene by claiming he was not speeding.
In April another killer Indian driver was spared jail in the same court despite killing a young father while making an illegal turn.
And last year an Indian truck driver who ran a red light in Adelaide and killed a Chinese tourist was also allowed to serve his sentence of three years and four months in home detention.
Header image: Left, Bhupinder Singh outside court (7 News). Right, Christine Sandford (Facebook).
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