Mitchell Laidlaw pleads guilty to culpable driving charge after killing Sue Salthouse

Mitchell Ryan Laidlaw, aged in his 30s, was due to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to a charge of culpable driving causing death.

He instead switched his plea to guilty, admitting he had killed Ms Salthouse, who was the ACT Senior Australian of the Year at the time, in a July 2020 incident.

The Ngunnawal resident had already pleaded guilty to a less serious charge of drug-driving, as a repeat offender, on the day in question.

Agreed facts detailing Laidlaw's crimes are yet to be tendered in court, but police have previously said his Nissan Navara rear-ended Ms Salthouse's wheelchair-accessible motorcycle as the vehicles travelled across the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.

Laidlaw tested positive for methamphetamine in the wake of the incident.

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Chief Justice Lucy McCallum continued Laidlaw's bail following the entry of Tuesday's plea, and listed his sentencing proceedings to begin on Thursday.

ACT deputy director of public prosecutions Anthony Williamson indicated he would ask members of Ms Salthouse's family if they wished to provide victim impact statements.

Ms Salthouse was a well-known figure in the Canberra community for decades prior to her untimely death at the age of 71.

The former teacher, who won a raft of awards for her work, chaired the Women with Disabilities ACT board and spent many years passionately advocating for people with disabilities.

She also advocated for the prevention of violence against women as an ambassador for Our Watch, worked for Lifeline, and ran a consultancy company specialising in disability.

In this year's Australia Day awards, Ms Salthouse was posthumously honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia.

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