Two heartless bystanders rushed to a horror car crash where one was said to have held the hand of a woman dying in the bloody wreckage before allegedly snatching her handbag and pocketing her credit cards for a three-day shopping spree.
Shocked relatives of 62-year-old crash victim Kay Shaylor have slammed the alleged actions of Jason Hall, 42, and Silvia Schreuder, 44, as "callous" and "calculating" while a veteran police officer said, if proven, it was "one of the lowest" moves he had ever seen.
It is alleged the couple returned the bag to the scene amid the chaos surrounding the September 3 North Gosford crash but were seen just 50 minutes later at a shopping centre where they began a three-day shopping spree using the dead nurse's credit cards with a can of Coke.
The 73-year-old told The Daily Telegraph: "How heartless can you be to do that to someone when they're dying?Ms Shaylor's brother Hilton says his sister, whose car collided head-on with a vehicle driven by suspended learner driver Bianca Harrington at 6am, was lucid as paramedics battled to save her at the scene. A court was told Harrington had smoked five marijuana bongs in the lead-up to the crash.
"I was told the woman was looking after Kay, holding her hand and checking her pulse and telling her she'll be OK.
"I just hope Kay was not aware of what (was happening) because it would kill me to think she knew she was being robbed as she was dying."
Gosford Superintendent Danny Sullivan branded the alleged actions of Hall, who faced court yesterday, and Schreuder as "the lowest" he has ever seen.
"Should these circumstances be proven, it would be one of the lowest acts I've seen," he said.
Ms Shaylor, an aged-care nurse from Umina Beach who had never married, was driving to work at Chamberlain Gardens nursing home early in the morning in her red Mitsubishi Mirage when Harrington, driving a Holden Commodore, allegedly clipped another car and collided head-on with Ms Shaylor's.
Gosford Local Court heard last week that Harrington, 20, told police she had smoked "five bongs" before driving from Sydney to the Central Coast and "could not remember where she had been all night".
The same court heard yesterday Hall and Schreuder went on a three-day shopping spree with the dead woman's credit cards, buying alcohol, cigarettes, food and a fishing rod.
It is alleged that just 50 minutes after the crash Hall and Schreuder were at nearby Imperial Street Shopping Centre and waiting for Woolworths to open at 7am.
Within 15 minutes they had filled their trolley and paid for groceries totalling $93.72, the court heard.
During the next few days the pair allegedly bought McDonald's food, tobacco, bottles of bourbon, a $65 fishing rod, groceries, online gambling and Telstra prepaid recharges.
The spree came to an end when officials at St George Bank rang Ms Shaylor's sister Patricia Boyd on September 5 to query the purchases and the credit card was cancelled.
Hall's friend Rodney Clark, who lives in Mann St opposite where the crash happened, said the couple were staying with him at the time and raced out to crash scene. "That's low mate, putrid, it is even low for people who are low," he said of the allegations.
Police facts state officers obtained CCTV footage of Hall using the credit card at Gosford businesses. Schreuder was sometimes seen with him. They were arrested Wednesday.
Hall became violent at court yesterday when Magistrate Robert Williams refused him bail, kicking the dock. He pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Schreuder was released on conditional bail and will face court on September 27, charged with larceny and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
"Illegal shopping splurge"
September 3:
• About 6am, Kay Shaylor, 62, is fatally hurt after a car accident involving Bianca Harrington on the Pacific Hwy in North Gosford. The 20-year-old allegedly veers onto the wrong side of the road before ploughing into Ms Shaylor's car.
• Jason Hall, 42, helps emergency services as Silvia Schreuder, 44, allegedly steals Ms Shaylor's handbag.
• The bag is taken to a nearby home, where they are believed to have stolen cash and credit cards, before being returned to the scene.
Card purchases:
• 6.50am: Can of Coke
• 7am: Woolworths groceries worth $93.72
• 11.30am: McDonald's $7.15
• 11.33am: Two pouches of tobacco and filters $51.70
• 2.29pm: Two 700ml Johnnie Walker, two bottles of Wild Turkey bourbon $151.70
September 4:
• 1.45pm: Fishing rod and reel combo $65.79
September 5:
• 10.20am: Cigarettes and a scratchie $65.55
• 10.27am: Roast chicken, round steak and a leg of lamb from Woolworths $44.38
• 1.45pm: Card declined attempting to buy $30 of fuel at Woolworths service station Wyoming
• 8.10pm: Card declined attempting to buy popcorn, Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs and chips for $12.20 at Woolworths, Gosford
• It is alleged the card was also used for online casino gaming sites and Telstra prepaid recharges