Tristan McLaren sentenced to 3.5 years for fleeing with stolen car, injuring traffic worker Bella Foot in July 2024.

Tristan McLaren, 31, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for injuring traffic controller Bella Foot during a high-speed escape in a stolen car in Jesmond, Australia, in July 2024. McLaren, on parole with a history of driving offenses and under the influence of methamphetamine, struck Foot at a roadworks site, sending her 15 meters and causing severe, long-term injuries requiring a full pelvic reconstruction. He fled the scene but was arrested after a brief foot chase and found with drugs. McLaren pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, drug possession, and failing to stop after an accident. Judge Timothy Gartelmann imposed a non-parole period of two years and three months, making McLaren eligible for release in December 2025. Foot delivered a victim impact statement urging McLaren to grow from the experience.