A NSW police sergeant has been sentenced to a two-year intensive correction order over the death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Wright, following a dangerous driving incident during a police operation in 2022. In the District Court of NSW on Friday, Benedict Bryant was sentenced after being found guilty of dangerous driving occasioning death. It is the first time a police officer has been held criminally responsible for the death of an Aboriginal person during a police operation in New South Wales, according to the Aboriginal Legal Service.Bryant avoided jail time however, instead ordered to serve the sentence in the community under an intensive correction order. He must also complete 500 hours of community service, and is banned from driving for three years.The court was told Wright, who was also referred to in proceedings as Jai Kalani, died in February 2022 after a police pursuit involving a stolen trail bike. During the incident, Bryant positioned his vehicle across a bike lane, effectively acting as a roadblock. The court heard there were no activated lights or sirens at the time of the collision.Wright’s bike struck the police vehicle, and he was thrown from the impact, suffering fatal head injuries. He died in hospital the following day.In court on Friday, there were emotional scenes as victim impact statements from Wright’s parents were read aloud by the judge. His father Lachlan Wright cried as the court heard how Jai Jai, as he called him, was the glue that tied his large family together.As the sentence was handed down, there were audible reactions in the courtroom, including clapping and cheers from supporters of Wright’s family.The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) said on Friday it continued to stand in solidarity with the family as they attended sentencing, describing the case as significant in the broader context of police accountability.Sharif Deen said the organisation had supported the family “from the days after Jai’s passing, throughout the coronial inquest process and the criminal trial of Benedict Bryant.”“We honour their fight for justice in the face of lengthy delays in charges being laid,” he said.“Nothing will bring Jai back, but accountability is important. Today’s outcome is an important step for Jai’s family and loved ones in coming to terms with his loss.”The court also heard submissions about Bryant’s background, including that he had no prior criminal history and had served more than two decades in the NSW Police Force, receiving a number of commendations during his career. However, the court was also asked to consider questions around his level of remorse, including the fact he had never entered a guilty plea.The sentencing judge imposed a community-based intensive correction order rather than full-time imprisonment, along with community service and driving disqualification.For Wright’s family, the sentencing brings to a close a legal process spanning more than four years since his death in early 2022.