Dinner, drinks and a river excursion for a future husband and wife went from happy to heartbreaking after the couple's swerving ski boat slammed into a vegetated bank.
Brendan Faithfull, 40, had been travelling along the Hawkesbury River in Sydney's north when he was seen navigating his vessel erratically and at speed in the evening of February 4, 2024.
At one point, he was observed naked on board.
The 40-year-old faced court for a sentence hearing on Monday over the death of his fiancee, Samantha Jones, who died after the boat smashed into a riverbank.
After taking the vessel for dinner and drinks at the Patonga Boathouse Hotel, the couple had spent two-and-a-half hours winding back towards Windsor.
About sunset and just short of the destination, the vessel slammed into the riverbank, travelling so far up into the undergrowth that emergency services had trouble locating and then accessing the crash site at Wilberforce.
Faithfull was on board for an hour before help arrived, trying to give CPR to his future wife.
She died soon afterwards from blunt force trauma.
Faithfull conceded he had consumed some alcohol and been showing off, his barrister said on Monday.
He was aware enough, despite being intoxicated, that he could swerve around a submerged tree with plenty of time, Judge Jennie Girdham heard.
Faithfull called a friend saying he was over the limit soon after leaving the hotel, the court was told.
“The level of alcohol demonstrates irresponsibility, we accept that," Gabrielle Bashir SC, acting for Faithfull, said.
Minutes before the 8pm crash, he was seen on CCTV piloting the craft in a straight line on the correct side of the river, she told the court.
Faithfull's sentence should be reduced because he had suffered additional punishment through the loss of his partner and the resultant psychological harm, Ms Bashir said.
The small business owner had apologised and shown genuine remorse for his actions and had completely abstained from alcohol after the crash, the court heard.
He pleaded guilty in the local court in February to culpably navigating a vessel in a dangerous manner causing death.
All this pointed to a jail sentence of less than two years served in the community, Ms Bashir said.
Crown prosecutor Daniel Rainey pressed for a longer sentence, saying Faithfull had been piloting a craft of not inconsiderable power, with a maximum speed of 62km/h.
While the 40-year-old had not exceeded any speed limit, his fiancee had died due to the speed at which the vessel impacted the riverbank, he said.
Faithfull had also acted irresponsibly and dangerously ahead of the crash, the court was told.
He had shown off through competitive driving, navigating the boat erratically while passing by obstacles, other craft and even people, Mr Rainey said.
Speaking through the prosecutor, Ms Jones' family issued a statement saying they did not push for any particular sentence outcome.
Instead, they wanted Faithfull to be punished according to the law and for Ms Jones' story to be told.
Faithfull will be sentenced on December 12.
