A man charged over a crash that killed a senior police officer and a mother-of-two in Urrbrae last year has been found not guilty by reason of mental incompetence.
Harrison Kitt, 21, was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing harm by dangerous driving.
Senior police officer, Joanne Shanahan (nee Panayiotou), and mother, Tania McNeill, died in the crash at the intersection of Cross Road and Fullarton Road at Urrbrae on April 25, 2020.
According to ABC News, Judge Paul Muscat said he agreed with expert reports from psychiatrists and found Mr Kitt not guilty of the offences by reason of mental incompetence.
READ MORE: Harrison Kitt suffered ‘mental impairment’ during crash which killed Joanne Shanahan, court hears.
But he said Mr Kitt would be liable to supervision and has ordered several reports to assess whether he should be detained or released into the community with conditions.
‘We hope they can forgive Harry’:
Outside court, Mr Kitt’s mother Kathy said not a day had passed since the “terrible crash” that her family had not thought about the impact on the victims’ families.
READ MORE: Police officers and SA community bid public farewell to Joanne Shanahan.
“Their losses are unimaginable; we hope they can find it in their hearts to forgive Harry for what happened even though it might be difficult for them to accept,” she said, fighting back tears.
“It was not his fault but the fault of a terrible and debilitating disorder that none of us knew he had.”
She said her family would also have to cope with the impact forever, but she loved Harry “dearly” and would stand by and support him.
“We are conscious that today’s announcement … will have mixed reactions in the community,” she said.
“Some will find it difficult to understand that what occurred can be explained by mental illness.”
READ MORE: Harrison Kitt pleads not guilty over crash that killed Joanne Shanahan and Tania McNeill.
