The mother of teenager Logan Power has said the sentence imposed over her son’s death in a high-speed crash in Tamworth, New South Wales, has not delivered justice.
Charlie Ernst Keogh, 27, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death at speed and was sentenced to three years and two months in prison by Tamworth District Court.
He could be released on parole as early as February 2028 after serving a non-parole period of 26 months. His driving licence was also suspended for three years.
Logan, 18, died in March 2025 after he was thrown from the back seat of a silver Ford Falcon when it struck a power pole in an industrial area of Tamworth.
Keogh, a P-plater, had been driving with his girlfriend and Logan’s twin brother, Lachlan Power. CCTV analysis found the car was travelling at no less than 92km/h in a 50km/h zone.
The vehicle had unsafe modifications to its rear brakes and differential, described as “skid car” modifications. The impact sent the engine 12 metres from the car and caused injuries that killed Logan at the scene.
Logan’s mother, Holly Power, told the court that her family had been left with permanent grief. “We have been left with a lifetime of heartbreak and emptiness,” she said. “Our family has been robbed of the future we believed we would have with each other.”
Speaking after the sentencing, Ms Power said the punishment did not reflect the loss of her son.
“For my son’s life, I feel like it’s not enough,” she said. “I will never forgive (Keogh), he knew the car was very modified. How he was driving was going to cause an accident, he knew that. I will never forgive him.”
Keogh appeared by video link with his head down while Ms Power’s victim impact statement was read to the court. She said she had deliberately made the statement powerful because she wanted him to hear her words.
“I read it because I knew he could hear, I knew he could see me,” she said. “He could not block his ears or not listen, that’s why I made it so powerful.”
Judge Peter McGrath took Keogh’s early guilty plea and remorse into account. The court heard that Keogh had told a psychologist: “I feel like shit, I feel like crying everyday.
“I can’t bring my mate back, he was like a brother to me. I am glad I am in jail, it gives them some closure.”
Judge McGrath said Keogh’s “genuine sorrow for what he has done will last with him much longer than any sentence of imprisonment I can impose on him”.
But Ms Power said it was difficult to hear Keogh’s remorse when she felt her family was facing a lifelong punishment.
“Where is my justice, what about my son?” she said. “He didn’t have a choice, he was just a passenger. I just feel (the sentence) wasn’t long enough.”
Family and friends filled the courtroom and wore shirts bearing the words: “We have no peace without getting justice”. The Tamworth community has continued to support the Power family since the crash.
Logan was remembered by his family for his sense of humour, infectious smile and kind heart. Ms Power said people should continue to speak about him and keep his memory alive.
“Don’t be scared to talk about him, and don’t be scared to say his name,” she said. “Don’t be scared to laugh about what he used to say or do.”
