Jude Francis jailed for Aubin Grove pursuit which killed teenage trail bike rider Mitchell Chase
Updated
A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years behind bars for chasing to his death a teenager who he mistakenly thought was riding his stolen motorcycle in Perth's southern suburbs.
Mitchell Chase died after his trail bike collided with an SUV at an intersection in the residential suburb of Aubin Grove on December 28, 2016.
He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital, but died of his injuries the next day.
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The crash happened on Giverny Gardens in the southern Perth suburb of Aubin Grove. (ABC News)
The 15-year-old was being pursued by Jude Nathan Francis, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, failing to stop and provide assistance, and failing to report the incident.
Francis was behind the wheel of another vehicle and was pursuing the teenager before he ran into the SUV because he mistakenly thought he had stolen his own motorcycle.
He then fled the scene following the crash. The Supreme Court heard Francis was also driving while his licence was suspended.
'We struggle every day with the loss'
Mitchell's parents Wayne and Denise Chase said while they were happy with the outcome of the sentence, the family had been devastated by the loss of their son.
"We just hope that this is a lesson for anybody in the future that thinks of doing anything similar," Ms Chase said.
"How much we struggle every day with the loss of Mitch. Just walking into an empty room, or just smelling his clothes to try and feel him, or talk to an empty space.
"Mitch was a strong person and he stood up for so many people.
"To know that he was so scared, that's part of my nightmares at night."
Mr Chase said his son was his hero.
"He was the most unique character I ever met," he said.
"He was just confident. He was my hero. He was everything I wished I could be.
"His success, his drive, his love of life — I don't go more than two minutes without thinking about him."
Ms Chase said they felt a lengthy prison term, taking Francis away from his own parents, would go some way to helping them understand what losing a child was like.
"His mum and dad will know what we feel like. We've not seen Mitch for 17 months and it feels like a lifetime," she said.
Mr Chase said he now wanted to put the man responsible for his son's death out of his mind.
"From now on I don't want to give him any thought," he said.
"Hopefully I never come face to face with him [or] see him, [and] give as little time as possible thinking about him."
In addition to the prison sentence, Francis was banned from holding a drivers licence for three years, with the disqualification to be served once he is released from prison.
He will be eligible for parole in five years.
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, perth-6000, banjup-6164, wa
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