A District Court jury has found two men responsible for the manslaughter of Warrawong father Daniel Merrett in a high-speed collision.
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Mr Merrett, 27, was killed in the early hours of May 18, 2019 when the Ford Territory driven by his sister Kayleen Merrett crashed into the rear of a fuel tanker on the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail.
He died instantly after being thrown from the vehicle.
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Darren Butler and Andrew Russell were accused of chasing the vehicle in such an intimidatory manner that they caused the fatal collision.
The jury of eight women and four men retired to deliberate on Monday morning after three weeks of evidence, before returning their verdicts on Wednesday afternoon.
As well as finding both Butler and Russell guilty of manslaughter, the jury determined Butler was also guilty of two counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.
These two charges related to Ms Merrett and a passenger in the Ford Territory, Jakkaya Clulow.
The injuries Ms Merrett suffered in the crash included a collapsed lung, fractured rib, hip, pelvis, and wounds to her arm and eye.
She had to undergo surgery.
Ms Clulow sustained a deep wound to her hip, a fractured rib, superficial lacerations to her chest, and injuries to her foot and pelvis.
But the jury acquitted Russell on the charge of discharging a firearm in a public place.
A group of Butler and Russell's supporters were in court on Wednesday and began crying as the foreperson delivered the verdicts.
As the two men were led out of the courtroom, one woman said: "Stay strong, boys".
During the course of the trial, the jury heard there had been a dispute between Butler and another passenger in the Ford Territory, Thomas Johnson, earlier in the night of Mr Merrett's death, over a $2000 debt Mr Johnson owed.
Butler and Russell, in a Toyota Corolla, followed the Territory from a petrol station in Cringila to Mr Merrett's home in Warrawong, before both vehicles stopped for a short time beside Lake Illawarra on Northcliffe Drive.
Ms Merrett gave evidence that while there, Butler ran towards the passenger side of her vehicle and yelled at Mr Johnson to get out.
She said she also heard loud bangs and her brother claimed shots had been fired.
Both vehicles were then engaged in a high-speed chase down the Princes Highway, which came to an abrupt end when the Territory smashed into a fuel tanker turning out of Creole Road.
Defence barristers Bernadette O'Reilly and Winston Terracini had sought to suggest other people, including Ms Merrett - who was found to have had methamphetamine in her system - could have been at fault in the collision.
Butler and Russell will be sentenced at a date yet to be fixed.
They remain in custody.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
