A HOWLONG man riding an unregistered dirt bike with no headlights or helmet has died after hitting a utility.
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The driver of the vehicle was allegedly assaulted twice by the late man’s friend, who was also on a motorbike.
They found Billy Bolton, 23, dead at the scene.
Police allege his friend Harley Turner, 28, assaulted the 65-year-old driver before stealing his Nissan Navara.
Turner allegedly drove the man’s utility back to his home, before returning to the scene and again attacking him.
He was arrested after fleeing the scene and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, driving a stolen car, disqualified driving and using an unregistered motorbike.
The utility driver was taken to Albury hospital in a stable condition with head injuries.
Notwithstanding the grief Mr Turner would have felt … attacking (the alleged victim) in this manner is entirely unacceptable
- Magistrate Julia Virgo
He was released on Friday morning.
Turner broke down during a bail application in Albury Local Court on Friday morning.
The court heard Turner had been distressed after witnessing his friend die.
Lawyer Graham Lamond noted the “highly tragic, highly emotive, distressing circumstances of the offence”.
His client had witnessed the “death of his close friend before his eyes”, he said, which caused Turner to break down in the dock.
Sergeant Andrew Coombs opposed bail and argued he was a danger to the community.
“This is a matter where a custodial penalty is almost inevitable,” he said.
“Mr Turner’s driving puts the community at risk.”
The 28-year-old lives about a kilometre from the scene of the collision and was disqualified from driving at the time of the alleged offence.
Magistrate Julia Virgo said Turner had had a “lamentable disregard for the road rules in the past”.
“Notwithstanding the grief Mr Turner would have felt and the shock … attacking (the alleged victim) in this manner is entirely unacceptable,” she said.
Ms Virgo said it was an unusual set of circumstances.
She bailed Turner to July 31.
He sobbed heavily when told he would be bailed and was comforted by his family after being released.
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