The son of a top Canberra bikie has pleaded guilty to accidentally driving a car into a pedestrian, leaving him fighting for his life, more than two years ago.
But the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has abandoned an allegation Michael Wayne Clark deliberately crashed into his victim Ian William McKay.
Prosecutors downgraded charges against Clark from intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm to culpable driving negligently occasioning grievous bodily harm.
The 26-year-old is now facing a maximum penalty of four years behind bars - under old laws recently overhauled making the maximum 10 years - rather than 15.
But his penalty is likely to be at the lower end of the scale because of his clean criminal record and as the allegation is one of negligence.
Clark had initially pleaded not guilty to the tougher charge, with the prosecution alleging culpable driving as an alternative. He had been due to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence.
Clark, the son of senior Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Club member Wayne Gordon Clark, was to face a sentencing hearing before Justice Richard Refshauge yesterday morning. But the matter was adjourned after his legal team took issue with the proposed statement of facts relied upon by the prosecution.
The charge stems from an incident in September 2009 when Mr McKay was crushed between two cars in the driveway of his Kambah home.
The victim had just returned home from walking his dogs when a Toyota Hilux with Clark behind the wheel entered the loop street, went up the driveway and slammed into him.
Mr McKay was crushed between the Hilux and a parked Commodore with enough force to push the Holden into a set of metal gates across the driveway.
The man suffered a fractured skull, punctured lung and had some of his teeth knocked out.
Mr McKay's spleen was later removed.
The defendant remains on bail but is due to face a judge-alone trial on unrelated matters later this year during the ''blitz'' on the Supreme Court's backlog.
Clark is due to be sentenced on the culpable driving charge later this month.
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