Bobcat driver Christopher Bell admits to killing George Tereva when he ran over ... trends now
Christopher Bell was having a few beers with workmates when he decided to jump behind the wheel of a Bobcat he had never driven before - it had tragic consequences.
The 53-year-old drove around in circles at the Bangholme site in Melbourne's south-east, repeatedly driving towards his three colleagues on the afternoon of September 7, 2022.
The group considered the mood to be jovial but it quickly turned to tragedy when Bell accelerated towards George Tereva and ran him over.
Mr Tereva was trapped under the machinery, suffering a deep cut to his calf and abrasions to his back and pelvis.
Paramedics were called and while Mr Tereva was initially breathing and conscious, his condition quickly deteriorated and he died in hospital.
Christopher Bell (pictured) was having a few beers with workmates when he decided to jump behind the wheel of a Bobcat he had never driven before - it had tragic consequences
Bell left the scene before police arrived but returned an hour later and did a blood alcohol test that showed a reading of 0.1.
He admitted drinking four or five beers but claimed Mr Tereva encouraged him to drive the Bobcat.
Bell told police he shouldn't have been operating the excavator but denied performing any circles, instead saying the machinery bucked forward before the fatal collision.
It took 11 months for detectives to charge Bell with manslaughter by criminal negligence and he was extradited from NSW to face the charges in August 2023.
In a pre-sentence hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday, Mr Tereva's long-term partner, mother and daughter all submitted
