An Adelaide driver accused of deliberately killing another man in a hit-and-run crash has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, on the day his murder trial was set to begin.
Michael Charles Henley, 24, deliberately crashed into another car, killing 20-year-old Nicholas Darling on Flaxmill Road at Morphett Vale in July 2021.
The Supreme Court heard the two men were from feuding friendship groups that were involved in a car chase on the night of the crash.
Henley, who was 22 at the time of the offence, was accused of deliberately killing Mr Darling.
He previously pleaded not guilty to murder, but today pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
Prosecutor Michael Foundas said Henley had rammed the car in which Mr Darling was a passenger several times on the night, with the final, fatal ramming causing their Hilux ute to roll three times.
"It's accepted by the prosecution, however, that … that particular point of collision — the Hilux rolling — was not intended by Mr Henley. He was simply intending to drive at the Hilux," Mr Foundas said.
The prosecutor said that, before the fatal crash, animosity had grown between the two feuding groups because of past romantic relationship crossovers.
The two groups had been damaging each others' cars and on the night Mr Darling died, he and another friend had damaged Mr Henley's car.
After Mr Henley discovered the damage, a chase began on foot and later continued by car.
Mr Foundas said CCTV vision from the night captured Henley travelling at high speeds.
"Mr Henley can be seen going at such speed that causes sparks as he goes over a speed bump," he said.
Mr Darling's partner Ruby Dayman, who gave birth to their child five months after Mr Darling's death, cried as Henley entered his plea.
Police previously said that Henley's Ford failed to stop at the scene after the crash and was later found burnt out in a gully off the Southern Expressway at Reynella.
Mr Henley turned himself in a few days after the crash and was charged with manslaughter, but that was upgraded to murder in February.
Henley also pleaded guilty to leaving an accident scene.
Sentencing submissions will be heard in August.
