Man jailed for helping a killer driver escape

Updated

An Indian student who helped a friend, who was responsible for a fatal car crash in Melbourne, flee the country, has been jailed for two-and-half years.

Sukhcharanjit Singh is paying the price for helping Puneet Puneet get out of the country.

Puneet was on strict bail conditions after surrendering his passport.

He pleaded guilty to killing a Queensland man, Dean Hofstee, 19, in a drunken, high-speed crash at Southbank in 2008.

But Puneet fled to India the following year, after Singh gave him his passport.

He has not been seen since.

Singh, 22, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

In sentencing, the Victorian County Court judge told him his actions had caused immense frustration to the victim's family and shame and humiliation for his own.

Singh will be eligible for parole in 18 months and will be deported to India on release.

Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, traffic-offences, melbourne-3000, australia, vic

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