A pilot has been spared a jail sentence for causing a fatal light plane crash on an island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
In January 2017, the plane struck the dunes on Middle Island, killing 29-year-old British tourist Jocelyn Spurway and badly injuring 21-year-old Irish woman Hannah O’Dowd.
After a brief trial that concentrated on his conduct after the plane’s engine unexpectedly failed, a jury convicted pilot Leslie Woodall guilty of operating a vehicle in a way that caused death and serious bodily harm.
Woodall received a two-year sentence with full suspension, meaning that he will be allowed to stay out of jail as long as he abides by specific rules.
