Parents of 4yo killed in Canberra crash call for 'lightest possible sentence'

The parents of a four-year-old who died after being hit by a car in Canberra's south have asked the court to impose the "lightest possible sentence" on the elderly woman who was behind the wheel.

Osal Mayur Pokhrel was riding on a shopping trolley pushed by his parents when he was hit by the car, which continued into a shopfront at the Southlands Shopping Centre in Mawson in January.

Bystanders rushed to free him before emergency services arrived.

He was taken to hospital where he died.

'He wanted to be just like his daddy'

In a victim impact statement, read to the court today, Osal's parents described the "unimaginable" anguish of losing their child, which had made them feel that life had "lost its meaning".

"The pain touches our daily lives. Everything in our home reminds us of him," the statement said.

"His toys, his clothes, even the lunchbox he was meant to take to his new preschool remain, untouched in his closet.

"People say that time heals, but it doesn't feel that way for us. If anything, each day grows heavier."

The parents described their son as a loving and gentle child, who liked playing in the park, watching movies, and wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.

"We had so many hopes and dreams for Osal. He often told us that when he grew up, he wanted to be just like his daddy," the statement said.

"We knew he would grow into a truly remarkable human being.

"Four years was not enough for us, and it should never have been all he was given. He was loved, he mattered, and he is missed every day."

The couple said they took comfort in each other and the support they have received from the community, and asked the court to grant Brew leniency.

"If the court is able to consider it, we respectfully request that she receive the lightest possible sentence," the statement said.

"We hope she can spend the rest of her life surrounded by her children and grandchildren."

Driver hit accelerator instead of brake

Maureen Brew, 80, pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death.

Before the crash, Brew had pulled into an empty car spot, but left the car in drive.

The court heard the car rolled forward and she stopped it before rummaging in the glove box — looking for the vehicle's user manual, to identify a fault light on the dashboard.

When the car began rolling forward again, the car mounted the kerb and Brew panicked, pressing the accelerator rather than the brake.

The car surged forward, hitting the trolley before Osal's parents could pull it out of the way, and it slammed into the shopfront.

Brew 'humbled and grateful' by 'gracious' parents

In a statement from Brew, tendered by her lawyers, she described her "overwhelming remorse, shame and guilt".

"The version I held of myself is shattered," Brew said.

"I am humbled and grateful the parents of the child say they hold me no ill will — they must be good people."

Brew's lawyer said it was a case of misjudgement, stemming from a failure "to secure the car and thinking it was secure".

But prosecutors argued a term of imprisonment was required to reflect the objective seriousness of the offence.

Justice Belinda Baker said she would carefully re-read the "incredibly powerful and gracious victim impact statement" when preparing the reasons for her sentence.