Halls Head cyclist killer found not guilty

Friday, 9 February 2018 05:19

By Taylah Strano

The elderly man who killed a Halls Head cyclist when he struck her with his car in 2016 has been found not guilty.

After a six-day jury trial 74-year-old Keith Michael Osman was found not guilty of killing 69-year-old Gabriele Schiller-Brett in March 2016.

Mr Osman ran over Ms Schiller-Brett when he failed to give way to her at a roundabout, dragging her bike underneath his car.

The victim was taken to Peel Health Campus but sadly died a short time later.

Mr Osman continued on with his day visiting Mandurah library and fast food outlet before Police arrived at his house and examined his car, confirming it had been involved with a crash.

The elderly diabetic man said he had no memory of the crash, according to the ABC his lawyer argued at trial that his client had been having a hypoglycaemic episode which meant his "automatic state" disconnected his mind from his body.

Two hours of deliberation had passed before a District Court jury found him not guilty of dangerous driving occasioning death, failing to stop and render assistance to Ms Schiller-Brett and failing to report the crash to police.

Defence counsel Sam Vandongen said Mr Osman was "clearly affected by some medical condition," referring to his clients sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes.

According to the ABC Mr Vandongen said Mr Osman had been a diabetic for many years, and people with the condition sometimes had a hypoglycaemic episode when their blood sugar dropped to dangerously low levels.

"It affects a person's ability to control their actions. It can result in an automatic state where their mind is not connected to their body," Mr Vandongen said.

"This is what we say has happened to Mr Osman on that day."

As he left the court surrounded by family Mr Osman made no comment.