The managing director of a private Perth first-aid company has pleaded guilty to causing a head-on crash in Wanneroo after speeding past traffic with unauthorised lights and sirens and crossing onto the wrong side of the road at more than 100km/h.
Jack Dunn appeared in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Monday and admitted to all charges, including aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, four counts of aggravated dangerous driving causing bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice over the crash last month.
Dunn ran Rescue Recovery 1, a private first responder company that mainly provided first aid support for events, when he crashed head-on with a Mercedes. He was remanded in custody after his first appearance, when he appeared to suffer a medical episode in the dock as footage of the crash was played to the court. On Monday he appeared via video link from Hakea Prison, supported in court by colleagues from the company, and spoke only to confirm his pleas.
The court previously heard Dunn had lights and sirens fitted to his Ford Everest despite not being authorised to have or run them, and had activated them on the day of the crash. Footage aired in court showed him weaving between cars at speed, crossing over solid white lines and forcing other cars onto the soft edges of Franklin Road. At one point he crossed onto the wrong side of the road to avoid another car and crashed head-on with a Mercedes, injuring a child. The woman driving the Mercedes suffered broken ribs and had air pockets in her lungs as a result of the crash.
A police prosecutor said Dunn got out of his car and told the injured occupants he was an off-duty paramedic and attempted to administer first aid, although he does not have relevant paramedic qualifications. There is no charge relating to that representation. When police arrived, Dunn pocketed his dashcam's memory card and later said he did not know where it was; officers found it in his pants pocket at the hospital, and he was charged over concealing it.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered, and Dunn will appear in court again on January 29. All previous mentions of him have been wiped from the company's website and social media, and his mobile number has been removed from its contact information.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The guilty plea ends the prosecution phase of the case; the next question is the sentencing outcome given the seriousness of the charges and the injuries.
- The case raises how private first responder outfits use emergency equipment, since Dunn ran lights and sirens without authorisation.
- It shows the public-safety consequences when an unauthorised vehicle drives at speed through traffic on a suburban road.
Background
The case centres on a private company that provided on-site first aid at events, operating outside the public emergency services. Dunn's role as managing director and his use of unauthorised lights and sirens on a public road led to the crash, and his later concealment of the dashcam footage added the perverting-the-course-of-justice charge. The court proceedings, from his first appearance to the guilty plea, have unfolded over about a month.
Key Perspectives
Police prosecutor: said Dunn got out of his car, told the injured occupants he was an off-duty paramedic and attempted to administer first aid, though he has no paramedic qualifications.
Jack Dunn: pleaded guilty to all charges, including aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
What to Watch
- Sentencing on January 29, once the pre-sentence report is prepared.
- Whether the court weighs the concealment of the dashcam footage and the unauthorised lights and sirens in the sentence.
- Whether police or regulators examine how private responder companies use emergency lights and sirens in response situations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedDunn pleaded guilty to causing a head-on crash in Wanneroo.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “A Perth private emergency responder has admitted to causing a head-on crash”
- SupportedHe used unauthorised lights and sirens to speed past traffic and crossed onto the wrong side of the road at more than 100km/h.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “after using unauthorised lights and sirens to speed past traffic and onto the wrong side of the road at more than 100km/h.”
- SupportedDunn concealed his dashcam’s memory card after the Wanneroo collision.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “When police arrived at the scene, Dunn pocketed his dashcam’s memory card and later said he did not know where it was.”
- SupportedDunn pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, four counts of aggravated dangerous driving causing bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “He pleaded guilty to all charges”
- SupportedDunn was managing director of Rescue Recovery 1, a private first responder company that mainly provided first aid support for events.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Dunn was the managing director of Rescue Recovery 1, a private first responder company that mainly provided first aid support for events”
- SupportedDunn was remanded in custody after his first court appearance, when he appeared to suffer a medical episode as crash footage was played.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “He was remanded in custody following his first court appearance last month, after the 30-year-old appeared to suffer a medical episode in the dock when the footage of the crash was played to the court.”
- SupportedOn Monday, Dunn appeared via video link from Hakea Prison and was supported in court by Rescue Recovery 1 colleagues.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Dunn appeared via video link from Hakea Prison on Monday, and was supported in court by his colleagues from Rescue Recovery 1.”
- SupportedDunn’s Ford Everest had lights and sirens fitted without authorisation, and he activated them on the day of the crash.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The court previously heard Dunn had lights and sirens on fitted to his Ford Everest, despite the fact he was not authorised to have them fitted them, nor to run them, and he had activated them on the day of the crash.”
- SupportedCourt footage showed Dunn weaving between cars, crossing solid white lines and forcing other cars onto the soft edges of Franklin Road.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “footage aired in court showing him weaving between cars at speed, crossing over solid white lines and forcing other cars onto the soft edges of Franklin Road.”
- SupportedA child was injured, and the Mercedes driver suffered broken ribs and air pockets in her lungs.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “A child was injured in the crash, and the woman behind the wheel of the Mercedes suffered broken ribs, and had air pockets in her lungs as a result of the crash.”
- SupportedA police prosecutor said Dunn told the injured occupants he was an off-duty paramedic and attempted first aid; Dunn does not have relevant paramedic qualifications.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “A police prosecutor said Dunn had gotten out of his car and told the injured occupants he was an off-duty paramedic, and attempted to administer first aid. Dunn does not have relevant paramedic qualifications.”
- SupportedDunn pocketed the memory card, later said he did not know where it was, and police found it in his pants pocket at the hospital; he was charged over concealing it.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Police later found it in his pants pocket at the hospital, and he was charged over concealing it to cover up his offending.”