Driver Who Thought He Hit a Kangaroo Avoids Jail for Killing Pakistani Student Appearing to Pray on Adelaide Road

A South Australian judge suspended Ashton Friend's prison sentence at a sentencing hearing for killing Pakistani student Samia Malik, who appeared to be praying on an Adelaide road.

Friend, who was 20 when sentenced, had pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene after striking Malik, also 20, at about 11pm on 6 May 2025. Judge Anne Barnett told him he had initially thought he had hit a kangaroo.

Suspended Sentence in Pakistani Student's Case

Friend received a sentence of one year, three months and 29 days, with an eight-month non-parole period. The sentence was suspended on a two-year good behaviour bond.

The Noticer, citing The Advertiser, reported that Barnett took account of his genuine remorse, young age, good rehabilitation prospects and the circumstances of the offending. He was also banned from driving for a decade.

The South Australian District Court heard that Friend had been driving home from his girlfriend's house when he struck Malik on North East Road in Hillcrest. He was not affected by drugs or alcohol and was travelling below the speed limit.

Court Examines Collision That Killed Pakistani Student

Malik had been kneeling in the road for about four minutes before the collision. Barnett described her hands in CCTV footage as moving in what appeared to be a 'praying motion'.

Friend was looking in his rearview mirror during the seconds in which he would have needed to react. Barnett told him there were approximately 2.25 seconds between the point when his headlights would have detected Malik and the impact.

The reconstruction expert considered that he might have been able to avoid the collision or reduce his speed, the judge explained.

Prosecutor Frank Niemann noted that other motorists had swerved around Malik beforehand, the Daily Mail reported. The court also heard that a police car travelling some distance behind Friend had time to stop and pull over without hitting her.

Defence barrister Jane Abbey KC submitted that the limited damage to Friend's car contributed to his initial assumption that he had not struck a person. News reports the following day brought him to the realisation that he had killed Malik.

The court heard that this left him in a 'state of paralysis'. Niemann emphasised that Friend nevertheless failed to surrender to police. Officers identified and arrested him a week after the collision.

Malik's Sister Describes Lasting Grief

Friend, who was 19 at the time of the collision, accepted responsibility for his actions and his failure to act in an apology read to Malik's family.

'There is no excuse for my actions, or my failure to act - and I should have acted. I do not place responsibility on anyone else; it is mine alone.'

His apology acknowledged the grief and trauma suffered by Malik's loved ones. Barnett told the court that the community expected motorists to remain vigilant and attentive and to respond appropriately after accidents.

Malik's sister, Qudisya Malik, described grief as part of her daily life in a victim impact statement read aloud by Niemann.

'Every important milestone reminds us that someone deeply loved is missing. There is always an empty place where Samia should have been.'