Sydney garbage driver sentenced for crash that killed elderly woman

Christopher Sultana, 34, pleaded guilty to negligent driving causing death during the incident and is due to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon.

Zhang’s daughter, Cynthia Zhang, read a victim impact statement in Sydney’s Downing Center District Court on Wednesday in her native Mandarin, which was translated by her own daughter.

She told the court while the pain of losing her mother was immense, her Christian faith gave her the comfort and strength to forgive the man who caused her mother’s death.

“I chose to forgive you Sultana because God forgave me my sins,” she said.

“Whenever my mother took her daily walks, she smiled and waved to passers-by and neighbors, and everyone who knew her remembered her.”

Sultana was making a three-point turn at the time of the incident and claims he did not see Zhang.

The court heard through expert testimony that it was likely hidden in the blind spots of the vehicle.

Earlier in the judges-only trial, Judge Sophia Beckett found Sultana not guilty of dangerous driving causing death, saying she was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that her manner of driving at the time was dangerous.

Two other charges of failing to yield to a pedestrian and disobeying a no-turn-right sign were dropped.

“Because of your mistakes, a daughter lost her mother, and these grandchildren lost their last grandparent,” Zhang told Sultana.

“Why couldn’t you have been more careful?”

Sultana also took the witness stand on Wednesday to read an affidavit expressing his remorse and how “truly and deeply sorry” he is for the family.

“I wished time and time again that I could do it again that day,” he said.

“I want (the family) to know that whatever the outcome of the last day of hearing is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”