Sydney charity worker jailed after killing Balinese teenager with car
Sydney woman Susan O'Brien ran an education centre for children in Bali. Photo: Facebook
A Sydney charity worker has been sentenced to three-and-a-half months in jail for hitting and killing a Balinese teenager with her car.
Susan Leslie O’Brien, 49, was already serving two months behind bars when she was sentenced in an Indonesian court for negligent driving which resulted in a death.
The court heard O’Brien tried to overtake a truck in Jembrana, three hours west of Denpasar, on August 14.
She crashed into local 19-year-old Rizqi Akbar Putra, who was riding a scooter. He died at the scene.
O’Brien was facing a maximum penalty of six years’ jail and a fine of 12,000,000 IDR ($1235).
However, the three judges who handed O’Brien the sentence said she had no previous criminal history, and took into account her work teaching English to local children.
The court also heard O’Brien had struck a compensation deal, of an undisclosed amount, with the victim’s family, which factored into the relatively lenient sentence.
Speaking in court, O’Brien expressed remorse over the young man’s death.
“I apologise again, regretfully, for all the trouble I’ve caused,” she said.
After the sentencing, the 49-year-old was returned to a holding cell, accompanied by Australian consular staff.
It was unclear when she would be released, but given the time already served, it was expected she should be out before Christmas.
According to her social media, O’Brien is a regular visitor to Bali and as well as running an education centre there she is also a strong supporter of a dog-sterilisation program.