Brendan Gregory Ellis Saul, born at Orange Base Hospital, on Dec 12th 1994, was the second child of Patsy and Kevin Saul. Brendan’s middle names are both of his grandmother’s maiden names; Pam Marshall (nee Gregory) and Doreen Saul (nee Ellis). His brothers are Matthew, b 26/01/93, Thomas b 03/01/97 and Patrick b 30/03/00.

Brendan was the typical Aussie kid. He was a fun loving boy with a cheeky streak and smile. Considered to be a bit of a rogue, quick to anger, quicker to apologise and love. Brendan’s life was consumed by soccer, rugby, cricket, swimming, little athletics, bike riding and living the life of a carefree child. He was one to pack sixty years of living into nine very short, but busy years.

Prior to moving to Dubbo on his birthday in 2002, he spent most of his formative years growing up in the town of Molong (pop 1599), 35 km’s north west of Orange, in the Central West of NSW. The town is more a small village that has a pre-school, two schools, two pubs, two clubs, soccer, rugby union and league, tennis, hockey, swimming and pony clubs as well as the typical array of village life.

He was a lovable and loving child, close to his family and friends, of which he had many. A good student at St. Joseph’s School in Molong and latter at St. John’s in Dubbo, he was always a champion of the oppressed; Brendan would not let an unjust act go unpunished. He would stand up for many a young child against an older bully and was often in scrapes for doing so. This saw him being held in high regard by many adults and children alike.

Brendan and his family’s life in Dubbo was a typical one of happiness and contentment. He played cricket for St. John’s, rugby for Dubbo Kangaroo’s, loved going to the zoo, riding his bike, swimming in the pool and playing the Playstation®. He spent a lot of time playing with younger children at home as his mother was a Family Day Carer at the time. At the age of nine, Brendan had no high aspirations, not planned for his future, no idea of what he wanted to be when he grew up.

But, he just had never had a chance to plan or achieve any of his own high and private aspirations. Senselessly killed by an under-aged, unlicensed, untrained driver who admitted to taking drugs not once but twice prior to driving. A driver who had a 60% higher reading of morphine in his system (0.08mg) 6 hours after Brendan’s death, self administered, where as Brendan’s reading at his death was (0.05mg), administered by health care professionals!

With this in mind a Local Court Magistrate has found the driver NOT GUILTY of Driving in a manner dangerous occasioning death and Negligent driving occasioning death. How is this possible?

Brendan died on January 8th 2004, at 5.40pm two hours after he was struck from behind by this driver and left for dead. His funeral was held on Thursday January 15th 2004 in Dubbo. It was attended by some 900 people, all of whom he had touched during his short but eventful life.

Our family’s thanks go to the NSW Police, whose support has been incredible, the NSW Ambulance Service, the doctors and nurses of The Dubbo Base Hospital A&E Department, the courageous people who took chase and found the persons responsible (we can never thank you enough), the local media, whose lack of intrusion into our life and respect for our privacy has been of great comfort. To all the people in Dubbo, Molong, Orange, Sydney and throughout the state who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers, sent us notes, flowers, phone calls, stopped us in the street, just to have a yarn and let us know how you feel, you have no idea how much it has meant to us all