Driver Admits Responsibility for Friends’ Deaths in NSW Flood Tragedy, Faces Sentencing
A man who drove two friends through floodwaters on the back of a ute in regional New South Wales has admitted responsibility for their deaths, telling a court, “I am the reason they died.”
Jawad Al Hussein pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent driving causing death, after his friends Ghosn Ghosn and Bob Chahine drowned in October 2022 when he attempted to cross a flooded causeway at Preston Creek near Goulburn. Their bodies were found downstream weeks later.
At a sentencing hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre, Al Hussein’s lawyer read a remorseful letter from his client, in which he offered a heartfelt apology to the victims’ families.
“I acknowledge the lives of the deceased families will never be the same. I am so deeply sorry for their losses,” the letter stated.
The court also heard emotional victim impact statements. Mr Chahine’s wife described her husband as her soulmate, saying, “Our life together was like a fairy tale.” She recalled how her young daughter believed they were close to her father while flying in a plane. Despite the grief, she described the tragedy as “an accident” resulting from a “careless choice.”
Mr Ghosn’s wife wrote of the profound impact on their child, whose behaviour and preschool performance had declined due to the loss. “It’s a wound that never heals,” she said.
While the maximum sentence for negligent driving causing death is 18 months per offence, Al Hussein’s lawyer argued for a community-based sentence, citing the driver’s remorse, mental health struggles, and inability to work since the incident.
“He honestly and reasonably believed it would be safe to cross,” the defence said, noting that the group spent 30–40 minutes assessing the conditions before attempting to drive through.
Al Hussein was acquitted in February of more serious charges of manslaughter and dangerous driving causing death. The Crown, however, is seeking a custodial sentence for the negligent driving charges.
Judge Julia Baly has reserved her decision and will deliver the sentence next month.
