Page "Martin Bryant" Paragraph 5

On 20 October 1992 Harvey was killed when her car veered to the wrong side of the road and hit an oncoming car directly.

Bryant was inside the vehicle at the time of the accident, and was hospitalised for seven months with severe neck and back injuries.

He was briefly investigated by police for the role he played in the accident, as Bryant had a habit of lunging for the steering wheel and Harvey already had three accidents as a result.

She often told people that this was the reason she never drove faster than 60 kilometres an hour ( 37 mph ).

Bryant was named the sole beneficiary of Harvey's will and came into possession of assets totalling more than $ 550, 000.

As Bryant had only the " vaguest notions " of financial matters, his mother subsequently applied for and was granted a guardianship order, placing Bryant's assets under the management of Public Trustees.

The order was based on evidence of Bryant's diminished intellectual capacity.