You destroyed our future Mother of student killed by garbage truck driver tells of son’s dreams to give back to his country
The mother of a gifted young man struck and killed by a garbage truck in Sydney’s CBD has spoken of his dreams to give back to the country he loved.
George Lin was walking down the laneway in 2020 when he was collected by the reversing garbage truck.
The driver, Tuiniua Fine, got out of his vehicle, put gloves on and moved the body before he drove away.
Fine pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death and failing to stop and assist and faced a sentence hearing in the District Court today.
He gazed at the floor as Mr Lin’s mother Eileen Xie delivered a victim impact statement in which she detailed his near perfect HSC score and decision to study law and economics at the University of Sydney.
“The end of 2021 should have been the moment he graduated from university to begin a new brilliant life for himself”.
Ms Xie said her son dreamed of becoming a policy maker in Canberra to give back to the country he immigrated to as a child and loved.
“I often look at the sky, blood dripping in my heart and I ask myself why? We love this country so much. We work so hard, pay taxes on time and try to be the best citizens,” she said.
She also told the court she now visited her son’s gravesite every morning before work.
“Because of your criminal behaviour you ended our son’s young life, a life that should have been bright and beautiful. As well you destroyed our future” she said directly to Fine.
Fine’s barrister argued his behaviour in moving the body and the report of a psychologist suggested he was in a disassociated state.
“He goes into a default mode,” the barrister said.
But the Crown rejected that proposition and said he had “ample time from the time he realised he hit a human being and not a milk crate” to get help for the young man.
He’ll be sentenced at a later date.
