A Melbourne man accused of killing a 16-year-old girl and injuring four others in a horror crash has claimed he believes the crash was an “accident”.
Gullet Mohammed Ahmed, 40, returned before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday asking for the case against him to be adjourned because his lawyer hadn’t turned up.
The Essendon man was arrested on March 17 last year after allegedly driving while drunk and high on ice before slamming his car onto another vehicle on Lygon St in Carlton.
A 16-year-old girl in the car died in hospital four days later, while her parents suffered injuries.
The force of the crash allegedly caused the vehicle to spin out and injure two pedestrians walking a dog.
Mr Ahmed was allegedly detained by bystanders before police arrived and blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.194 — almost four times the legal limit.
He told the court a lawyer was “supposed” to contact him prior to the hearing but this hadn’t happened.
“I’ve almost found one but he was supposed to come out and see me today,” he said.
“It’s an accident in my mind … I need to get my lawyer involved.”
But the presiding Magistrate, Brett Sonnet, bemoaned how the case has been “going around in circles” for the past 10 months.
“You were charged on March 23 and it hasn’t progressed,” he said.
“I’m minded to send it into the County Court, this matter just needs to be progressed — It will extradite the process.”
Mr Sonnet directed that pleas of not guilty be entered on Mr Ahmed’s behalf on 27 charges, including culpable driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury.
He will next appear in the County Court in February.