Rhys Bellinge’s ‘inapt’ apology to victims days before sentencing

An apology letter disgraced obstetrician Rhys Bellinge sent to his victims just days before his sentencing has been described as “terribly inapt” by a judge, who also noted a degree of self-pity in his remorse. Bellinge was charged several days after his heavily drunken, high-speed rampage through the western suburbs killed Elizabeth Pearce, 24, and critically injured Muhammad Usman on February 15 last year. But he only sent a letter expressing remorse to Ms Pearce’s family and Mr Usman this month, according to sentencing remarks published yesterday after the 46-year-old was imprisoned for 10½ years. He could be eligible for parole in 8½ years. Bellinge was speeding at 116km/h when his high-powered Jaguar crashed into an almost stationary rideshare vehicle being driven by Mr Usman. Distressing dashcam footage was played to the court on Tuesday, capturing Bellinge swearing as he drove erratically and aggressively. It also emerged that Bellinge, plans to study behind bars and launch a new career in the fertility field when he is released from prison, where he is currently in protective custody and has taken on a mentoring role for other inmates. Bellinge’s medical registration has been suspended and is likely to be cancelled. Justice Forrester detailed heartbreaking victim impact statements from the family of Ms Pearce, a much-loved and talented marine science master’s student at the University of WA. “(Her sister) has panic attacks, and she thinks of Elizabeth every day, every second of the day,” she said. “Her grief only gets worse as time goes on, and she grieves that the world will not now learn the amazing person that Elizabeth was. “Elizabeth’s partner tells of his love for her, her absence leaves him feeling undone and often disconnected from the world around him. He can’t find anything other than fleeting and shallow motivation and optimism, and he feels indifferent to his future. “Barely a year has gone by, and it is clear that her loss remains just as raw and devastating as ever, and will continue to be so for a very long time to come.” Justice Forrester said while Bellinge expressed remorse, the letters he wrote to his victims fell short. “You say you have tried but failed to define the depth of sorrow, regret and shame you feel for what you’ve done, and you will feel guilty for the rest of your life, but you describe your conduct as one careless decision,” she told Bellinge. “That is a terribly inapt way to describe what you did that night. You acknowledge that you cannot understand the Pearces’ loss but say how sorry you are and accept full responsibility for what you have done, but at no point do you actually say what you’ve done. “I also consider that there is a degree of self-pity in your remorse.” Bellinge wrote a similar letter to Mr Usman, who spent two months in hospital and lives in constant pain with limited movement. “His confidence has been affected and he has developed anxiety. He worries about his future,” Justice Forrester said of Mr Usman. “He thinks about that night every day.” Bellinge’s sentence encompassed speeding offences in the western suburbs just six days prior to the tragedy. On February 9, he reached speeds of 109km/h in Subiaco before deliberately driving on the wrong side of the road in Kings Park. He then scoffed repeatedly “f...king losers” and “grow a pair, be a man” before driving at 112km/h on Stirling Highway. Justice Forrester told Bellinge it was only by chance he did not cause another crash, or injury. “Your driving was of a similar kind, although perhaps not so egregious. That’s not saying much,” she said. “Again you displayed aggression, contempt, and a selfish disregard for other road users, and a sense of entitlement in the manner of your driving. “Your conduct also shows that your driving on 15 February was not an isolated incident.” Dashcam recording captured Bellinge saying: “You got pissed Saturday and Sunday night,” referring to February 9, yet he later denied drinking alcohol. Despite blowing almost four times the legal limit after the fatal Dalkeith crash, Justice Forrester noted Bellinge failed to acknowledge he was “grossly intoxicated”, or that he was driving in a shocking and life-endangering manner, to his victims, police or a psychiatrist. That psychiatrist, Dr Mark Hall, found Bellinge minimised and was “oddly unconcerned” about his alcohol use and noted it took a long time to establish rapport. And he found while Bellinge exhibited guilt and remorse, he was “over inclusive of a backstory which you felt supported your perspective on things”. That backstory included the recent separation from his wife and mother of his two children, which developed into a depressive episode and saw him prescribed anti-depressants. “Your state on that night was a combination of depression, alcohol, and the underlying affects of the antidepressant,” Justice Forrester said. Bellinge had a previous spent conviction for drink driving in 2001, but the judge deemed it not relevant to sentencing. Outside court on Tuesday Andrew Pearce said the absence of his smart, witty and empathetic daughter had left a hole in their hearts. When asked about the sentence he said: “Defence lawyers will come out and they’ll say there’s no winners here. Can I just say that’s an absolute falsehood. Just don’t believe a word of it. There’s a clear winner . . . it’s not Elizabeth.” Mr Usman, who continues to suffer debilitating impacts after the crash, said his thoughts remained with Ms Pearce’s family. “If you think you’re a good driver and you can drive after drinking some alcohol please refrain from it. Do not drive,” he said. “Take a taxi. Take an Uber. Get your anger out in some other way.” Premier Roger Cook said on Wednesday he had no plans to watch the distressing dash cam footage, which has prompted calls for it to be included in road safety education programs. “I know that this was a physically very violent incident and just the descriptions of it I think drives home to everyone just what a horrific incident this was,” he said.