A story in todays CM. Stay safe these holidays and take care around other vessels.
A GOLD Coast man whose wife lost her leg in a jet-ski accident has been found guilty of "gross carelessness and negligence" but spared jail because he now has to care for her and their seven children. Debbie Mcatamney burst into tears in her wheelchair as her husband Jamie was sentenced in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday.
Mr Mcatamney, 37, pleaded guilty to unsafe operation of a vessel causing grievous bodily harm, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
The prosecution followed an accident on the Southport Broadwater on July 4 last year in which Mrs Mcatamney was thrown off the jet-ski they were riding together and run over by a boat.
The court had been told Mr Mcatamney was riding the ski at speeds of about 60km/h when he overtook the boat and turned sharply. His wife was struck by the boat, severing her right leg above the knee.
In stinging sentencing remarks, magistrate Ron Kilner said Mr Mcatamney had displayed "gross carelessness and gross negligence of the extreme kind".
"I cannot accept that in a situation such as this that you would not have seen the vessel only moments before the collision, if you were keeping a proper lookout," Mr Kilner told Mr Mcatamney.
"In not keeping a proper lookout in so far as the vessel is concerned, that ultimately caused the injuries to your wife.
"Yet again, it's another instance of how a moment of foolishness can result in a lifetime of misery. I'm afraid these sort of things occur all too frequently in this community and on the Gold Coast in particular."
Mr Kilner said the crime warranted a jail term but noted that Mr Mcatamney was responsible for the ongoing care of his wife and children.
"In one respect, you have suffered as a result of your actions simply because you are obliged to care for your wife and your family," the magistrate said.
He sentenced Mr Mcatamney to six months' jail, wholly suspended for 18 months.
The Mcatamneys refused to comment as they left court.