Police policy cloaked as officer faces court over crash

Benedict Bryant was behind the wheel when an Indigenous teen rode into his unmarked police car. (Miklos Bolza/AAP PHOTOS)

While a court will scrutinise the actions of a police sergeant involved in a crash that killed an Indigenous teen, details of the force's own safe driving policy will be kept under wraps.

Benedict Bryant, 46, was behind the wheel when Jai Kalani Wright rode the bike into his unmarked police vehicle in inner-city Sydney on February 19, 2022.

The 16-year-old was thrown off his bike and suffered critical head injuries, dying at Prince Alfred Hospital the following day.

Benedict Bryant, charged over a fatal crash with an Indigenous teen, leaves court in Sydney.

The sergeant was referred to the state Director of Public Prosecutions after an inquest and was hit with one count of dangerous driving occasioning death and a backup count of negligent driving occasioning death.

He appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday where lawyers for the NSW Police Commissioner successfully applied for non-publication orders over portions of the force's safe driving policy and an interim safe driving report from May 2022.

Crown prosecutors and Bryant's lawyers consented to the orders.

Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis was handed a certificate clarifying that the charges against the police sergeant would be pursued.

The parties will now enter negotiations to discuss whether a plea deal will be struck or any charges dropped.

Image of Jai Wright worn by his father (file image)
An inquest was told the bike Jai Wright was riding had been stolen, along with a Mercedes and BMW.

Bryant has not yet made a plea but his lawyers previously told reporters he would fight the allegations.

The matter will return to court on December 12.

At a January inquest into the teenager's death, NSW State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan heard the bike Jai was riding had been stolen, along with a black Mercedes and a white BMW, about 7am on the day of the collision.

CCTV and in-car video footage played to the coroner's court showed an unmarked silver Holden Commodore sedan swing around in front of the bike, which then hit the police car at high speed.

13YARN 13 92 76

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