Perth Obstetrician Rhys Bellinge Jailed Over Fatal Hate-Fuelled Crash That Killed Elizabeth Pearce

Perth obstetrician Rhys Henry Stone Bellinge has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to unlawfully killing 24-year-old Elizabeth Pearce in a hate-fuelled, high-speed crash in February 2025. The Western Australian Supreme Court handed down the sentence on Tuesday, February 25, 2026, in a case that has shocked Australia and reignited debate over drink-driving and road rage.

Rhys Bellinge Sentenced in Western Australian Supreme Court

Justice Amanda Forrester sentenced Rhys Henry Stone Bellinge, 46, to a decade and a half behind bars, with parole eligibility after serving eight years and six months. Bellinge dropped his head to his knees and closed his eyes as the sentence was read. "You ruined your own life, as well as those of your victims," Justice Forrester told him. Bellinge's medical licence has been suspended and he was banned from holding a Western Australian driver's licence for five years.

The Night of the Rhys Bellinge Crash in Dalkeith

The fatal Rhys Henry Stone Bellinge crash occurred at 10:13 p.m. on a February 2025 night in Dalkeith, a leafy riverside suburb of Perth. Bellinge had spent the hours before the crash drinking rum, wine, and beer at a football match. He was recorded with a blood alcohol reading of 0.183 shortly after the collision — nearly four times the legal limit in Western Australia. Bellinge was driving his supercharged Jaguar at 116 km/h — 45 km/h over the speed limit — when he failed to navigate a sweeping bend and crossed into oncoming traffic, slamming into a Honda Jazz Uber travelling in the opposite direction. The Honda was pushed 40 metres by the force of the impact.

Elizabeth Pearce — The Young Woman Who Lost Her Life

Elizabeth Pearce, 24, was a passenger seated in the back of the Uber when the Rhys Bellinge crash tore through the vehicle. She was taken to hospital with severe injuries and later died from those wounds. Her father, Andrew Pearce, addressed the court and the media outside, describing his daughter as a "beautiful young woman" full of promise. She was, he said, "smart, witty, empathetic — all those good qualities of a decent human being." The loss of Elizabeth Pearce has left an irreplaceable void in her family and community.

Dashcam Footage Reveals Rhys Bellinge's Rage Before the Crash

Among the most harrowing elements of the Rhys Henry Stone Bellinge case was dashcam footage played directly to the court. The footage captured Bellinge screaming profanities about his estranged wife as he accelerated away from the former family home in Dalkeith. He can be heard hurling abuse at other drivers and tailgating moving vehicles at high speed through dark suburban streets before the Rhys Bellinge crash occurred. After the collision, he was recorded saying, "What a f---wit … I'm so sorry."

Obstetrician's Mental State and Alcohol Abuse Outlined in Court

Defence lawyer David Grace told the court that Rhys Bellinge had been in a severe mental and emotional decline in the period leading up to the crash. The obstetrician was taking powerful prescription drugs while self-medicating with alcohol and was experiencing anxiety, depression, agitation, insomnia, blackouts, and muscle spasms following his marital separation. He had also consumed directly from a rum bottle found in his car before the crash that killed Elizabeth Pearce. Bellinge suffered spinal injuries himself in the incident and has been held in protective custody throughout his time on remand. His defence described the Rhys Bellinge crash as a "horrendous and tragic" event causing "indescribable suffering" for the Pearce family.

Rhys Bellinge News: A Career in Medicine Now Destroyed

Rhys Henry Stone Bellinge was a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists — a former bricklayer who built a distinguished career in medicine. That career is now in ruins. His medical licence is suspended, and the obstetrician faces a decade behind bars. The Rhys Bellinge news serves as a devastating reminder of the catastrophic consequences of drink-driving and road rage, and of the irreplaceable life lost — Elizabeth Pearce — who deserved far better than the fate she was dealt that night in Dalkeith.