ONE-time high-flying Australian entrepreneur Ryan Bowman sat and listened to the heartbreaking words from a family destroyed by his actions.

At the end of the emotionally-charged proceedings, Bowman, a 34-year-old Queenslander who helped launch the GirlsGoneWild soft porn business in Australia, would be sentenced to just under a year in jail and be allowed perks most inmates in California’s overcrowded prison system could only dream about.

But first, he had to come face-to-face with the family members and friends of a woman he never met – fashion designer Lauren Ann Freeman.

Bowman’s Bentley struck the 21-year-old Lauren Ann Freeman with enough force to catapult her body over 50 feet in the air. Freeman’s promising young life ended in a bloody, crumpled mess on Sunset Boulevard while he drove off leaving her to die.

Ryan Bowman drove his luxury Bentley a couple of miles away from where he killed Lauren and left it abandoned in a residential area of West Hollywood. He then left the key in the ignition, the doors unlocked and fled. Authorities suspected he hoped someone would steal the Bentley. How convenient then he could say I didn’t kill that young beautiful girl, it was someone else. After police found the car, poor Ryan could not use his car stolen overnight alibi, the next day Bowman accompanied by one of LA’s top lawyers, Blair Berk, turned himself in to LA County Sheriffs.

Per the article in The Australian.com in quotes from the courtroom relayed what Steven Freeman, Lauren’s father said during an emotional address to the court “What I can’t understand is how the defendant could leave my little girl in the street like a piece of trash.” A few moments later, Mr. Freeman stopped talking, looked across at Bowman, and for five chilling seconds locked eyes with him. When Mr. Freeman opened his mouth again per The Australian.com, he erupted, maintaining his glare at Bowman and releasing some of the pain his wife, Donna, 24-year-old son Andrew and friends and family had endured since losing Lauren in such a violent way.

“Like a piece of trash on the road,” Mr. Freeman yelled. “My little girl.”

The article went on to say that Mr. Freeman’s statement to the Court was one of nine tear-filled, victim impact statements verbally delivered by Lauren’s family members and friends. A nine-minute video presentation showing photographs of Lauren as a baby, through to the last photos taken of her was played for the Court.

In Mr. Freeman further told the court that he, Lauren’s mother and brother Andrew Freeman have been so traumatized they are on medication and are seeing a psychiatrist.

Per the article in The Australian.com Mr. Freeman told the court and Mr. Bowman in detail how when he said goodbye to Lauren in the morgue her hands had to be covered by gloves because they were so damaged and when he kissed her face it was “freezing cold”.

Bowman, breathing heavily and his voice shaking, stood and told the Freemans he was “ashamed” and “will be forever haunted” by Lauren’s death. Sure he will be for the next 6 months as Mr. Bowman said what was required of him for this sweetheart deal. Bowman on cue with tears running down his face said; “I didn’t stop my car and I wasn’t there as I should have been to see if I could help Lauren,” Bowman, a co-founder of mobile phone marketing business mConnect that he sold for $8 million last year, told them.

Witnesses in the Court Room said even Judge Elden Fox had tears in his eyes and had to get Kleenex and then had to take a break saying he admitted he was rocked by the tragic case because he had a son and daughter about the same age as the Freemans’ children.

Bowman was originally arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence which carried a hefty jail sentence. But, under the deal, it was slashed to a lesser charge of leaving the scene of a collision.

Ryan Bowman’s jail sentence filled with perks

Bowman was sentenced to 364 days in jail at the Seal Beach Police Detention Center. The Seal Beach Police Detention Center which boasts a newly renovated kitchen, library, commissary, and single “room” with in-room, [we don’t call them cells], cable television with a movie library. It also has a large outdoor recreational area with basketball equipment and picnic tables. Our “Pay to Stay” CLIENTS’ in good standing may have full family visitation periods. The center is located along the north Orange County coastline, boasts of moderated temperatures with a pleasant climate and it is private. Our clients, [we never refer to you as a prisoner], would normally not do well with the violent offenders found in “crowded jails where real danger lurks”. You get all of this for $100.00 a day and we hope you enjoy your stay as one of our “clients”. You can also bring your MP3 player with headphones, pictures to put in your private room as long as they are not pornographic and no tacky “prisoner suit” we let you wear your own jeans, shirts, bath robe, and suggest you bring a jugging suit and shoes for your comfort. The only requirement is that you get a clean bill of health and that you are sentenced to less than a year. We allow you to leave once a week for business meetings and once a month to visit your personal physician. We have a fully trained emergency medical team at the Center to handle any medical emergency that occurs until we can get you to your physician or the hospital of your choice.

We have 30 rooms and you can have up to a 2 hour daily visitation with family and friends, Bring your iPod, books, magazines and games. Be sure and bring your first $100.00 in cash with you to shop in our commissary. We suggest you bring an inexpensive watch and not your normal watch. WE DO NOT ACCEPT VIOLENT OFFENDERS, unless you have a damn good defense lawyer that can talk the D. A. into asking that you be exempted. We promise we will never allow anyone to ever refer to you as a killer while you are a client at our center.

Bowman has until Saturday to turn himself into the Seal Beach Center. With good behavior, Bowman will likely be released in a little over six months. After he completes the jail term, Bowman will have four years of probation and will be allowed to return to Australia during that period.

NOW HERE IS THE SWEETEST PART OF THE DEAL BOWMAN MADE:

If Bowman does not violate his probation, the conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor at the end of this time (a total of about 4 and ½ years) and expunged from his criminal record.

It took classy people, which Steven, Donna and Andrew Freeman to have agreed to the plea and the “center” Mr. Bowman will be living at for the next few months. I don’t think I could do that with anyone who killed my child

Now this is the reason we all love John J. Nazarian, the Freemans have launched a civil lawsuit against Bowman, with the family’s private investigator, John J Nazarian, serving Bowman as he left court. Sadly not a very “bright” ending to a very sad day.

This brings back a saying I remember saying every day at the start of school when I was young: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and JUSTICE for all”. No wonder lady justice wears a blindfold, it is probably to hide her tears that there is nothing equal in justice for all, but there are perks for the very rich. I think we should all cry with Lady Justice today for Lauren Ann Freeman being denied Justice just because the guy who killed her is rich!

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©Rose Turner
March 11, 2011
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