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Warning: this article contains the name and image of an Aboriginal person who has died.
A police sergeant who was told not to pursue a teenager riding a trail bike has been told he caused the death of the young man when he placed his unmarked car in his path.

Benedict Bryant, aged 47, was convicted on Friday for causing the death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Kalani Wright due to dangerous driving. The incident took place in February 2022 within an inner Sydney suburb.

Judge Jane Culver ruled Bryant should have known placing his car without its lights and sirens activated could have caused a collision which posed a serious risk to the 16-year-old.
Bryant was behind the wheel when he parked the car at the end of a bike path he knew the teen was riding down at speed.
After colliding with the car, Jai was thrown off his bike and suffered critical head injuries, dying at Prince Alfred Hospital the following day.
While there was no evidence the sergeant was intending to injure or kill the teenager, the judge found a person of his experience should have known creating the obstacle would pose a danger.
Judge Culver found Bryant also failed to consider how other parked cars in the intersection would have impacted the boy’s ability to see the police car in his path.
“The presence of these other vehicles posed a visible and physical obstruction to the accused … this required the accused to exercise a greater degree of caution,” she said.
More than 40 members of the teenager’s family packed the Darlinghurst court room, with dozens of others filling an overflow room.
There were gasps and tears as the judge revealed her verdict while Bryant sat with his head bowed and eyes closed for most of the proceedings.

After the court proceedings, one of Bryant’s supporters announced plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that the tragic event could have been avoided if individuals had been “in bed, like they should be” at the time.

Principal Legal Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service Nadine Miles said the verdict confirms Bryant “caused the death” of the teenager.
“This is a tragedy that never should have happened,” she said.
She said it is a historic first for the state.
“It is rare for police officers to face criminal charges when they are involved in the death of a community member, and even rarer for a court to return a guilty verdict,” Ms Miles said.
“We are not aware of a previous instance where a police officer has been held criminally responsible for the death of an Aboriginal person in custody or in a police operation in NSW.

Kylie Aloua, the mother of Jai Wright, expressed the importance of holding police accountable for their actions. She emphasized that the community needs to trust in their safety when dealing with law enforcement, lamenting that some officers’ actions have undermined this trust.

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The tragic incident occurred during a protest in Sydney, where Jai Wright was riding a trail bike that collided with an unmarked police vehicle. The case has drawn significant attention, highlighting concerns about police conduct and accountability. [Image Source: Mark Evans/AAP Image]

Jai Wright’s mother, Kylie Aloua, remarked that the conviction represents a “step in the right direction,” reflecting her hope for justice and change.

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