The trial of a man accused of being behind the wheel in a horror crash that killed four people could be heard without a jury.
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Jack Bowd, 24, was excused from appearing at the District Court in Dubbo on Monday, February 2, as Crown prosecutors and Bowd's defence team gave the court an update on the matter.
At his last appearance, Bowd - the sole survivor of a crash in Tomingley on September 27, 2024 - confirmed not-guilty pleas to four counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.
Although a date for the trial was expected to be set at the most recent court listing, the Crown told the court that both parties were working together on a set of agreed facts that would bring the estimated trial length down from six weeks to two.
The Crown said there would also be an application for the trial to be heard by a judge alone, due to the technical nature of the evidence.
She said much of the events of the night of the crash are agreed on by the prosecution and the defence and that the main point of contention is who was behind the wheel.
"It's a science matter on who was driving the vehicle," she said.
Bowd is alleged to have been driving the vehicle responsible for the Newell Highway crash, about 35 kilometres south of Dubbo. However, he denies this.
About 9.20pm, emergency services were called to the scene following reports of a multi-vehicle crash. On arrival, they found a Toyota HiLux and a Toyota HiAce van had collided and four people had died.
Bowd, the only survivor, was in the HiLux at the time of the crash. Two others in the HiLux - Molong teens Lochie Jacobs, 18, and Joey Urban, 19 - died.
Parkes couple Sue and Graham Tait, both 57, were the passenger and driver of the HiAce. They also died.
Bowd was charged with four counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, not wearing a seatbelt properly fastened, driving with two passengers' seatbelts not properly fastened and four (backup) counts of negligent driving occasioning death.
The date of the trial and whether or not it will be held before a jury are now expected to be confirmed on Bowd's next court date, February 16.
