Rhys Bellinge: Doctor accused of fatal Dalkeith crash which killed Elizabeth Pearce to be held in special unit

Jailed obstetrician Rhys Bellinge is in line to be moved to a special part of Casuarina Prison reserved for jailhouse snitches, paedophiles, bent cops and other inmates who are hated behind bars. Dr Bellinge is currently in the maximum-security prison’s critical care unit, which is part of the infirmary. The unit is heavily staffed and home to prisoners whose mental state means they are a risk to themselves. The 45-year-old will likely stay there as long as he requires a back brace for injuries he sustained when his Jaguar allegedly collided with an Uber in Dalkeith on February 15, killing passenger Elizabeth Pearce and breaking the legs of driver Muhammad Usman. Once Dr Bellinge recovers, and assuming he continues to be denied bail, he may spend his time awaiting trial for the crash in Casuarina’s ultra-secure special protection unit. This jail-within-a-jail is home to prisoners who may be bashed or killed if they mix freely with the general prison population. The father-of-two will be neighbours with Claremont serial killer Bradley Edwards and Cleo Smith abductor Terence Kelly, both of whom spent time in the critical care unit where Dr Bellinge has been since his secretive, late-night transfer from Sir Charles Gairdner hospital last week. He is facing manslaughter and dangerous driving charges, with police claiming he was driving from the Nedlands home of his estranged wife Juli to his father’s mansion on Jutland Parade, Dalkeith, when his car hit a kerb and lost control on Birdwood Parade, crashing into the Honda Jazz rideshare car being driven by Mr Usman. Dr Bellinge is accused of reaching speeds of 130km/h before impact and having a blood alcohol reading of 0.183 — almost four times over the limit. He is the son of celebrated Perth doctor Bruce Bellinge and part of one of WA’s richest families. The special protection unit will insulate him from any extortion attempt stemming from his well-publicised wealth and will keep him safe from a prison bashing by a convict chasing bragging rights. Once there, Dr Bellinge would never be allowed to move around the prison without at least one guard with him. Any building he had to visit would be locked down before entering. It is believed Dr Bellinge will likely stay in the infirmary until his back is strong enough for him to negotiate the special protection unit’s stairs. The Department of Justice said it would not comment on individual cases but noted: “The prison has a range of protection units and the special protection unit accommodates individuals based on security and risk assessments.” Details of Dr Bellinge’s life behind bars come as the WA public rallied behind Mr Usman after the injured Uber driver asked for support. The Pakistan-born 25-year-old created a GoFundMe organiser asking the public for financial support and prayers after his life took a “devastating turn”. By Wednesday evening more than $110,000 had been donated. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the community of Perth and Australia,” Mr Usman said. “I am absolutely overwhelmed and deeply grateful for the incredible support you all have shown me.”