Latest news with #YrsaChristoffersen
Sydney Morning Herald
21-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Reprehensible': Man jailed, grandmother killed in crash
Yrsa Christoffersen was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her grandchild. Instead, the 73-year-old was undergoing an autopsy after Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith crashed into her car at high speed with a stolen vehicle before fleeing. The devastating aftermath was laid bare before Stewart-Smith, 29, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for his 'reprehensible' behaviour. Heartbreaking victim impact statements in a court packed with family members detailed the fallout after Stewart-Smith ploughed into the grandmother's car in September 2023. Yrsa Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work when a Holden Commodore collided with her Suzuki Swift about 6.40am. She died in the crash and her daughter suffered serious injuries. 'I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known,' Maria Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. 'I remember asking where my mum was and they wouldn't tell me.
The Age
21-07-2025
- The Age
‘Reprehensible': Man jailed, grandmother killed in crash
Yrsa Christoffersen was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her grandchild. Instead, the 73-year-old was undergoing an autopsy after Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith crashed into her car at high speed with a stolen vehicle before fleeing. The devastating aftermath was laid bare before Stewart-Smith, 29, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for his 'reprehensible' behaviour. Heartbreaking victim impact statements in a court packed with family members detailed the fallout after Stewart-Smith ploughed into the grandmother's car in September 2023. Yrsa Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work when a Holden Commodore collided with her Suzuki Swift about 6.40am. She died in the crash and her daughter suffered serious injuries. 'I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known,' Maria Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. 'I remember asking where my mum was and they wouldn't tell me.
The Advertiser
21-07-2025
- The Advertiser
'Reprehensible': man jailed, grandma killed in crash
Yrsa Christoffersen was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her grandchild. Instead the 73-year-old was undergoing an autopsy after Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith crashed into her car at high speed with a stolen vehicle before fleeing. The devastating aftermath was laid bare before Stewart-Smith, 29, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for his "reprehensible" behaviour. Heartbreaking victim impact statements in a court packed with family members detailed the fallout after Stewart-Smith ploughed into the grandmother's car in September 2023. Ms Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work when a Holden Commodore collided with her Suzuki Swift about 6.40am. She died in the crash and her daughter suffered serious injuries. "I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known," Maria Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. "I remember asking where my mum was and they wouldn't tell me. "The way they looked at me though, I knew. I could see it on their faces." Stewart-Smith had been driving up to 114km/h in a 60km/h zone in a Holden with stolen registration plates when he hit the Christoffersens' vehicle, sending it airborne. He fled the scene telling onlookers: "You don't understand, it's not my car". Stewart-Smith was later located by a police tracker dog in a storm drain, attempting to conceal himself by covering his body in mud. Ms Christoffersen's family was devastated, with a grandchild set to spend the week with her. "Instead my mum got to spend the week in the morgue and get an autopsy and my sister Maria got to lie damaged in a hospital bed," daughter Lorna Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. Maria Christoffersen suffered jaw, rib, pelvic and spine fractures along with spleen and liver lacerations. She lost up to 15kg, was unable to chew food for months and had to blow into balloons to prevent her lungs collapsing. Stewart-Smith had 35 prior speeding offences since 2013. Defence counsel Angus Edwards said his client was ashamed of his actions. Stewart-Smith had pleaded guilty to vehicle theft, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm whilst excessively speeding. He also pleaded guilty to drug possession and child exploitation material offences. Police had located methamphetamine during subsequent searches along with 335 images of child exploitation material on his phone. Justice Tom Sullivan sentenced Stewart-Smith to eight-and-a-half years in jail. Yrsa Christoffersen was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her grandchild. Instead the 73-year-old was undergoing an autopsy after Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith crashed into her car at high speed with a stolen vehicle before fleeing. The devastating aftermath was laid bare before Stewart-Smith, 29, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for his "reprehensible" behaviour. Heartbreaking victim impact statements in a court packed with family members detailed the fallout after Stewart-Smith ploughed into the grandmother's car in September 2023. Ms Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work when a Holden Commodore collided with her Suzuki Swift about 6.40am. She died in the crash and her daughter suffered serious injuries. "I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known," Maria Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. "I remember asking where my mum was and they wouldn't tell me. "The way they looked at me though, I knew. I could see it on their faces." Stewart-Smith had been driving up to 114km/h in a 60km/h zone in a Holden with stolen registration plates when he hit the Christoffersens' vehicle, sending it airborne. He fled the scene telling onlookers: "You don't understand, it's not my car". Stewart-Smith was later located by a police tracker dog in a storm drain, attempting to conceal himself by covering his body in mud. Ms Christoffersen's family was devastated, with a grandchild set to spend the week with her. "Instead my mum got to spend the week in the morgue and get an autopsy and my sister Maria got to lie damaged in a hospital bed," daughter Lorna Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. Maria Christoffersen suffered jaw, rib, pelvic and spine fractures along with spleen and liver lacerations. She lost up to 15kg, was unable to chew food for months and had to blow into balloons to prevent her lungs collapsing. Stewart-Smith had 35 prior speeding offences since 2013. Defence counsel Angus Edwards said his client was ashamed of his actions. Stewart-Smith had pleaded guilty to vehicle theft, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm whilst excessively speeding. He also pleaded guilty to drug possession and child exploitation material offences. Police had located methamphetamine during subsequent searches along with 335 images of child exploitation material on his phone. Justice Tom Sullivan sentenced Stewart-Smith to eight-and-a-half years in jail. Yrsa Christoffersen was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her grandchild. Instead the 73-year-old was undergoing an autopsy after Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith crashed into her car at high speed with a stolen vehicle before fleeing. The devastating aftermath was laid bare before Stewart-Smith, 29, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for his "reprehensible" behaviour. Heartbreaking victim impact statements in a court packed with family members detailed the fallout after Stewart-Smith ploughed into the grandmother's car in September 2023. Ms Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work when a Holden Commodore collided with her Suzuki Swift about 6.40am. She died in the crash and her daughter suffered serious injuries. "I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known," Maria Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. "I remember asking where my mum was and they wouldn't tell me. "The way they looked at me though, I knew. I could see it on their faces." Stewart-Smith had been driving up to 114km/h in a 60km/h zone in a Holden with stolen registration plates when he hit the Christoffersens' vehicle, sending it airborne. He fled the scene telling onlookers: "You don't understand, it's not my car". Stewart-Smith was later located by a police tracker dog in a storm drain, attempting to conceal himself by covering his body in mud. Ms Christoffersen's family was devastated, with a grandchild set to spend the week with her. "Instead my mum got to spend the week in the morgue and get an autopsy and my sister Maria got to lie damaged in a hospital bed," daughter Lorna Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. Maria Christoffersen suffered jaw, rib, pelvic and spine fractures along with spleen and liver lacerations. She lost up to 15kg, was unable to chew food for months and had to blow into balloons to prevent her lungs collapsing. Stewart-Smith had 35 prior speeding offences since 2013. Defence counsel Angus Edwards said his client was ashamed of his actions. Stewart-Smith had pleaded guilty to vehicle theft, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm whilst excessively speeding. He also pleaded guilty to drug possession and child exploitation material offences. Police had located methamphetamine during subsequent searches along with 335 images of child exploitation material on his phone. Justice Tom Sullivan sentenced Stewart-Smith to eight-and-a-half years in jail. Yrsa Christoffersen was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her grandchild. Instead the 73-year-old was undergoing an autopsy after Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith crashed into her car at high speed with a stolen vehicle before fleeing. The devastating aftermath was laid bare before Stewart-Smith, 29, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for his "reprehensible" behaviour. Heartbreaking victim impact statements in a court packed with family members detailed the fallout after Stewart-Smith ploughed into the grandmother's car in September 2023. Ms Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work when a Holden Commodore collided with her Suzuki Swift about 6.40am. She died in the crash and her daughter suffered serious injuries. "I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known," Maria Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. "I remember asking where my mum was and they wouldn't tell me. "The way they looked at me though, I knew. I could see it on their faces." Stewart-Smith had been driving up to 114km/h in a 60km/h zone in a Holden with stolen registration plates when he hit the Christoffersens' vehicle, sending it airborne. He fled the scene telling onlookers: "You don't understand, it's not my car". Stewart-Smith was later located by a police tracker dog in a storm drain, attempting to conceal himself by covering his body in mud. Ms Christoffersen's family was devastated, with a grandchild set to spend the week with her. "Instead my mum got to spend the week in the morgue and get an autopsy and my sister Maria got to lie damaged in a hospital bed," daughter Lorna Christoffersen said in her victim impact statement. Maria Christoffersen suffered jaw, rib, pelvic and spine fractures along with spleen and liver lacerations. She lost up to 15kg, was unable to chew food for months and had to blow into balloons to prevent her lungs collapsing. Stewart-Smith had 35 prior speeding offences since 2013. Defence counsel Angus Edwards said his client was ashamed of his actions. Stewart-Smith had pleaded guilty to vehicle theft, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm whilst excessively speeding. He also pleaded guilty to drug possession and child exploitation material offences. Police had located methamphetamine during subsequent searches along with 335 images of child exploitation material on his phone. Justice Tom Sullivan sentenced Stewart-Smith to eight-and-a-half years in jail.
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- News.com.au
‘Not my car': Elite school grad's callous statement after fatal crash that killed grandmother, 72
A former elite private school graduate whose 'reprehensible' driving killed a beloved grandmother in a horrific crash made a bizarre statement to witnesses before fleeing to hide in a muddy drain. Andrew Julian Stewart-Smith, 29, was behind the wheel of a Holden Commodore when he killed Yrsa Christoffersen, 72, after ploughing into her Suzuki Swift in Kippa Ring, north of Brisbane, in September 2023. Devastated members of the Christoffersen family packed out Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday as Stewart-Smith – a former graduate of the elite Nudgee College in Boondall – learnt his fate. In a heartbreaking statement, Ms Christoffersen's daughter Maria remembered her mother as the 'kindest person' she had ever known and the morning of her death was meant to be a normal morning 'like any other'. 'The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed, feeling pain like I had never known,' she said. 'I remember asking where my mum was, and they wouldn't tell me. 'The way they looked at me though, I knew. I could see it on their faces.' Maria said she felt like her 'world had been shattered' upon learning her mother had died. The court was told her recovery in hospital was difficult and she was left unable to chew food for weeks due to her fractured jaw. 'I still feel the effects today, some days I can't move the way I used to,' Maria said. 'Mum's death was sudden, violent and unexpected. 'I will always miss her. I'm trying to move forward, but it's hard. It's a daily struggle.' She questioned whether Stewart-Smith would ever take responsibility for his actions or continue to cause 'more pain' – to which the 29-year-old did not react. The court was told Stewart-Smith was seen driving erratically – at times swerving between cars and failing to give way – while reaching speeds of more than 100km/h on the morning of September 22, 2023. At one point, he pulled over on the side of the road and stole number plates to attach to the Holden. Ms Christoffersen was driving her daughter Maria to work and turning at the intersection of Anzac Ave and Oleander St in Kippa Ring. Crown prosecutor Jordan Daniels said Stewart-Smith braked but collided with the Suzuki at up to 114km/h, throwing it into the air. He fled the scene while telling bystanders: 'You don't understand, it's not my car.' Ms Christoffersen was declared deceased at the scene, while Maria was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police located Stewart-Smith several hours later in a storm drain, covered in mud in a bid to conceal himself. When searched, police located clip-seal bags containing methylamphetamine and texts on his phone indicating he supplied the drugs a week before. More than 300 animated child exploitation images were also found on his phone. The court was told Maria would have been left with lifelong issues with her jaw – which left her unable to properly eat for weeks – without surgery. Justice Tom Sullivan said Stewart-Smith's conduct was 'reprehensible' and made worse by his traffic history, which was littered with speeding offences. Stewart-Smith pleaded guilty in March to charges of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and grievous bodily harm while excessively speeding and leaving the scene of a crash without obtaining help, supplying and possessing dangerous drugs and possessing child exploitation material. He also pleaded guilty to other charges of stealing, unlawful use of motor vehicles and failing to remain at the scene of an incident and render assistance as a driver. Stewart-Smith expressed remorse to the family in a letter and was experiencing 'nightmares' of what happened that day while in custody. Defence barrister Angus Edwards said his client had 'tried to make amends' through courses, isolating himself from anti-social prisoners 'He is ashamed of what he did that day,' Mr Edwards said. 'He wasn't out to hurt anybody that day, but he did. 'He's out to change.' The court was told Stewart-Smith had developed a drug problem after his substance use as a teenager. Mr Edwards explained his client was drug-affected when he downloaded the images subject to the child exploitation material charge. Justice Sullivan will sentence Stewart-Smith later in the afternoon.
