The court heard that Matthew Alfio Sorbello, 32, was driving a white Holden ute, which he had borrowed from a friend, about 7.30 pm on January 15 this year along the causeway at a fast rate of speed when he clipped the front of the victim's vehicle. That vehicle then ran off the road, hit three trees and landed down the embankment along the side of the highway while Sorbello drove away without rendering assistance to the two injured passengers.
Shepparton Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday that the driver of the crashed vehicle suffered bruising and a broken finger while the passenger suffered three broken ribs, with the harrowing effects of the collision detailed in two victim impact statements tendered to the court.
“I have not been able to leave Shepparton since the accident . . . having crippled me emotionally, physically and financially,” the driver said in his statement.
“I can’t help but feel anger and rage in the injustice that’s occurred to me — my life has been torn apart and the person whose fault it is gets on with life.”
The court heard Sorbello was involved in another collision on January 23 this year when he became distracted while travelling along Dawson Rd in Arcadia, over-corrected the vehicle, lost control and collided with a tree.
Following the collision Sorbello produced a positive reading for methylamphetamine.
Sorbello was detected driving with methylamphetamine in his system again on April 9, when police allege he was travelling at 100 km/h in a 60 km/h zone along Goulburn Valley Hwy.
The court was told Shepparton police conducted two search warrants on May 20 and July 8 this year where they found evidence relating to Sorbello trafficking methylamphetamine.
Sorbello pleaded guilty to 20 charges including trafficking methylamphetamine, drug driving, careless driving, possessing a pocket knife, theft, dealing with cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime, committing an indictable offence while on bail and driving while suspended.
Sorbello’s lawyer Ian Michaelson urged Magistrate David Faram to order a pre-sentence report, saying it was possible his client could attend a rehab facility once again for treatment.
“Rehabilitation is often two steps forward and one step back . . . he has definitely taken a big step backward however he is still planning to make amends,” Mr Michaelson said.
Mr Michaelson said Sorbello was the father of four-year-old twin boys who had been in his full-time care until his arrest 85 days ago.
He said his client first came before the courts close to a decade ago following a relationship breakdown which he addressed by the use of drugs.
He acknowledged methylamphetamine was a difficult addiction to overcome, saying his client had relapsed in a “significant way” prior to a series of offending.
The court was told Sorbello remained motivated to change his lifestyle for his two young sons.
“The most difficult part is emergence back into the community where this drug methylamphetamine is just around the next corner,” Mr Michaelson said.
“People in the cocoon of residential rehabilitation can thrive however it’s making that next step within the community that is the most difficult step to undertake — my client stumbled at that step.”
Sorbello will appear in court again on October 22 following the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
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