Adelaide Killer Driver Bhupinder Singh Jailed for Deadly Mustang Crash

A Ford Mustang V8. Representative Image.

An Adelaide man, who had come from India to study five years ago, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after a high-speed collision in Windsor Gardens claimed the life of a beloved mother.

How the Crash Unfolded

On March 18, 2023, Bhupinder Singh, then 24, was driving his Ford Mustang V8, racing along North East Road at speeds approaching 160 km/hr — over 100 km/hr the legal limit.

Singh was reportedly tailgating, flashing his headlights, and weaving around other vehicles, treating the busy suburban road “like a racetrack” as he hurried to meet friends at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Christine Sandford, a 40-year-old mother of two, was just minutes from home, making a quick trip to buy cooking oil. As she exited a petrol station, Singh’s Mustang slammed into her Holden Commodore with such force that her car was pushed more than 30 metres down the road. Sandford died at the scene, leaving her family devastated and the community in shock.

SINGH Claims He Couldn't Help the Victim As Turban Came Off

Singh pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, but his legal team argued for home detention, citing the religious hardship he faced as a practising Sikh in custody.

Singh blamed his turban for not being able to help Sandford after the crash. His lawyers told the court that Singh's turban had come off, and as a Sikh man, "it’s almost like being naked in public," reported 7News.

Singh claimed he was unable to maintain his long hair or follow a vegetarian diet in prison. He had been eating bread and jam, a piece of fruit or instant noodles in jail and had lost nine kilograms.

Singh said that he had been unable to wash his long hair because there were no hair-drying facilities, and he could not let his hair down to dry as it was against his religious beliefs.

Judge Paul Muscat, however, rejected these arguments, stating that religious challenges in jail did not warrant leniency. “The risk that you posed to other persons driving at the speed at which you did must have been obvious to you,” Judge Muscat said, reported ABC. “Christine Sandford’s death was totally avoidable if only you had obeyed the speed limit”.

The judge highlighted Singh’s deliberate choice to speed, describing his actions as “reckless and avoidable.” He sentenced Singh to five years, two months, and 21 days in prison, with a non-parole period of four years, two months, and five days. Singh’s driver’s licence was also revoked for 15 years.

Grief, Loss, and Calls for Change

Victim impact statements read in court painted a harrowing picture of the loss suffered by Sandford’s family. Her daughter, Taniesha, described living in constant anxiety and struggling to carry the weight of her mother’s absence. “The weight of her absence is something I struggle to carry every day,” she told the court.

The judge acknowledged Singh’s remorse and the difficulties he faced in prison, including a nine-kilogram weight loss since his remand. However, he stressed that the need for deterrence and public safety outweighed any personal hardship.

Judge Muscat’s words serve as a stark reminder to motorists: “There is a road safety message that is often repeated to motorists, for good reason—it reminds us all ‘speed kills’. Sadly, that is precisely what happened here”.