Kelly Liddicoat has been sentenced to prison over the deaths of Aaron Pitt and Lleyton Bartlett, after she fatally struck them with her car as the two mechanics worked on a bus on the Sunshine Coast during 2022.
A woman convicted of dangerous driving that killed two people has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail.A Sunshine Coast woman has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail for crashing into and killing two young mechanics who were working on a bus that had broken down on a busy road.
Kelly Renee Liddicoat, 45, was last October found guilty of dangerous driving causing the deaths of Aaron Pitt, 25, and Lleyton Bartlett, 22, at Woombye in April 2022. A jury found Liddicoat was adversely affected by prescription medications including Valium when the BMW she was driving struck and fatally injured the two men, who had been called to repair a Translink bus on Nambour Connection Road.Judge Michael Williamson told a sentencing hearing at Maroochydore today Ms Liddicoat had shown a lack of remorse by pleading not guilty and going to trial. He set a parole eligibility date of April 15, 2026, and disqualified Ms Liddicoat from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for five years from today. Judge Williamson said he was satisfied Ms Liddicoat "ought to have known and did know" she was adversely affected by her medications when she chose to drive that day.Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks read powerful victim impact statements prepared by Mr Pitt's and Mr Bartlett's parents, who were unable to attend the hearing.The court, and Ms Liddicoat on video link from a correctional facility, heard their families continued to struggle with mental health, financial and social difficulties. Lisa Bartlett described her son as her miracle baby who brought pure joy to his family's lives and recalled their close relationship in which they could talk about anything.The court heard Lleyton Bartlett had completed his apprenticeship with bus company CDC — where his mother had also worked — months before his death and was proud and excited for the future."Losing him has affected every area of my life, my husband Darren's life, and his brother Jai's life. "Seeing Lleyton's face on Christmas Day and birthdays lighting up with a beautiful smile, hearing his laughter, will be things that I can never experience again or replace."Ms Bartlett's statement also detailed the heartbreak of rushing to hospital after learning of the crash.She stated that she held her son until he was cold, "and as I held him, I saw his colour slowly change".She wrote that she and her husband were unable to continue living on the Sunshine Coast because of constant and painful reminders of their son. The statement detailed how Mr Bartlett's younger brother, Jai, had developed psychological conditions as a result of losing him.'Every day is a struggle' Statements from Mr Pitt's parents described him as an intelligent, caring, funny, beautiful human being who was "enjoying life so much". He had been living with his parents while saving up for a house, and had recently won an apprentice-of-the-year award and started seeing a new girlfriend. His father wrote of the shock of arriving at hospital after the crash, unaware of the extent of his son's injuries. "The doctor came in and explained that despite all their efforts, Aaron was unable to be resuscitated and had died from the extent of his injuries," Robert Pitt said."The vision of Aaron's lifeless face and eyes remains with me every night I lie in bed to go to sleep, and every morning as soon as I wake up, and will remain with me for the rest of my life.Mr Pitt's mother wrote that her son's death had left a "huge void" in her family's lives and hearts. She wrote that they were frequently triggered by things that took them back to the day of the crash, including the sound of sirens, and the sight of young men wearing high-visibility workwear."The waves of grief are relentless and all-consuming."They said they had started their own life sentences the day the two men died.An 'appalling' driving history Ms Marks submitted that Ms Liddicoat had an "appalling" 20-year history of repeated driving infractions, including speeding.The prosecution asked for a sentence of five-to-seven years' jail plus a licence disqualification of five years from the time of release to maintain public safety on the roads. Defence barrister Mark McCarthy questioned how morally culpable Ms Liddicoat was for the deaths compared to similar cases where drivers had knowingly consumed illicit substances. He asked for a reduced sentence, saying it was unclear the extent to which Ms Liddicoat knew, at the time of the crash, that she was adversely affected by medications she had taken in accordance with medical advice.Judge Williamson took into account that Ms Liddicoat had served six months in pre-sentence custody and that her diagnoses of bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder could make time in prison more difficult for her than the average person. But he said some of Ms Liddicoat's statements about the crash, such as that the two men appeared "out of nowhere" as her car approached the bus, "smack of trying to lay blame" on the victims. Judge Williamson said it was "not hard to be moved" by the victim impact statements and the "immeasurable" consequences of the young men's deaths."As the statements remarked, this is a life sentence for the families."Courtroom erupts in cheers as driver found guilty over roadside deaths of mechanicsSydney church stabbing being investigated as 'terrorist act', authorities sayWoolworths CEO Brad Banducci threatened with six months in prison for holding Senate in contemptPM says Bondi attack 'bollard man' welcome to stay in AustraliaParamedics hid for over three hours in fear for their lives after Sydney church stabbingThe important step to take before wiping down your ceiling fans Mostly grown in monsoonal forests, turmeric's been found to thrive in our driest state, fetching up to $60/kgWhat we know about the bishop attacked at his Sydney church last nightColes grilled on prices after Woolworths CEO fails to name key metric, ASX tumbles How rape can be turned into a culture war boggles the mind. But this case was politicised at the starting gate Driver sentenced to six-and-half years' jail as families of mechanics killed in crash tell of 'life shattering' crash consequences
Crime Police Sunshine Coast Roads Crash Investigation Trial Judge Kelly Renee Liddicoat Michael Williamson Translink CDC Bus Aaron Pitt Lleyton Bartlett
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