Aussie jailed over Java holiday crash

West Australian Jake Drage will spend nine months in jail for causing a fatal crash in Indonesia. Source: AAP

AN Australian man has calmly accepted his nine-month jail sentence for a fatal motorbike crash in Indonesia, while maintaining it was just a terrible accident.

JAKE Drage, 23, was a carefree surfer on holiday when he arrived in West Java at the end of June.
But on his third day in the surfing town of Cimaja, his motorcycle collided with another. The impact flung the woman who was on the back of the other bike onto the road. The local mother, Kokom, suffered fatal injuries and couldn't be saved. Drage has been in police custody since. The former personal trainer arrived at court for his verdict on Thursday with his holiday tan long faded from spending up to 22 hours a day indoors. Judge Heri Suranto sentenced Drage to nine months jail and a Rp1 million ($93) fine. With the three months already served, Drage could be eligible for release in April. He could have been jailed for up to six years. Drage was composed when the verdict was read, telling reporters afterwards it could have been worse. "My plan now would be to go back to jail, keep on my best behaviour and get out soon," he said. Drage said he would leave the decision to appeal to his lawyers. But he's always disputed the prosecution case that his speed made the crash inevitable. "I'm not guilty, I want that piece of mind, I want to be found not guilty," he said. "They have nothing that says I'm guilty at all, apart from a few people that weren't there. "I've never heard of people being found not guilty in Indonesia so far. "But there are people in worse positions than I am and there are bigger injustices. "The roommates I've got at the moment are facing the death penalty if they're found guilty, but hopefully not." Drage's mother Tiena Drage rushed to her son's side soon after the crash, and has remained in Cimaja since. Ms Drage told reporters she would discuss with lawyers how to bring her son home as soon as possible. "I'm not happy as a mother but I respect what's going on in the court system," she said. "Hopefully I will be able to take my boy home soon." None of the evidence supported the reckless driving charge, and her son had already suffered enough, she said. "He will have to live with Kokom's death for the rest of his life. I thinks that's enough punishment." Ms Drage has formed a close and special relationship with Kokom's husband, Iim, and their daughter, Mela, who was riding the second bike and therefore witnessed the crash. Mr Iim now considers Drage like a son, and is devastated he will be jailed. But in sentencing, the chief judge said the family's forgiveness didn't absolve Drage of legal responsibility. "The family forgiveness is not something that can erase responsibility from the defendant, but it can be included as a leniency effort," he said.