A senior officer from the South Australian police force, Brevet Sergeant Daryl Mundy, has received a $2000 fine for not stopping after being involved in a car crash in Adelaide’s city centre. At the time of the incident in February, Mundy was actively campaigning for re-election as deputy president of the Police Association and had been a member of the police force for 35 years.
Dashcam footage from the event revealed a heated exchange between Mundy and the occupants of the other vehicle. In the video, Mundy can be heard insisting, “You’ve gotta give way,” while the other driver, Allan Kelson, counters, “It’s give way to the right you idiot… give way to the right, that’s the rules.” Kelson expressed his disbelief upon learning of Mundy’s high-ranking position, stating, “Very surprised… from a supposedly high-standing member of the community upholding the law.”
Mundy claimed he was unaware of the crash until after police contacted him weeks later. Although he did not attend court in person, his lawyer entered guilty pleas for two charges, including failing to stop at the scene.
The magistrate chose not to impose a conviction on the 56-year-old officer, recognising his long-standing service to the community. The court received testimonials that depicted Mundy as a commendable individual who made a regrettable mistake in this instance.
In addition to Mundy’s fine, Allan Kelson submitted his dashcam footage to the police, leading to him receiving an expiation for failing to give way at the intersection. Kelson has indicated his intention to contest this fine in court.