A drunk driver who killed a woman heavily pregnant with twins, and her relative, in a horrific car crash in Western Sydney has been jailed for 15 years.
Key points:
- Katherine Gordon was 38 weeks' pregnant with twins when she died
- Richard Moananu was travelling at more than 100kph in a 60kph zone
- He will be eligible for parole in 2028 due to time served
Katherine Gordon, 23, and Anh Thu Belinda Hoang, 17, died when Richard Moananu lost control of his car and crossed over a median strip on the Northern Road at Orchard Hills in September 2018.
He was travelling so fast that he became airborne and clipped another car before slamming head-on into the victims' hatchback.
Ms Gordon's husband, Bronko Hoang, also suffered serious injuries in the crash.
Their twins boys, Roman and Archer, were due to be born by Cesarian section the following week.
Moananu pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Hoang.
The deaths of the twins are not recognised under NSW law.
The NSW District Court heard Moananu was four times over the legal alcohol limit at the time and was seen by witnesses driving "erratically" and tailgating before the crash.
He also had traces of cannabis in his system when drug tested after the crash.
Witnesses told police Moananu was travelling at a "ridiculous speed" as be weaved in and out of traffic on the M4 motorway.
The 31-year-old had spent the day of the crash drinking at a hotel for more eight hours.
The court heard he now "wishes that he had died in the collision".
Mr Hoang, was seated in the passenger seat in front of her at the time of the crash and had been teaching his 17-year-old sister to drive.
The impact of the crash pushed the victims' car back 20 metres in the opposite direction it was travelling, causing "catastrophic" damage.
Mr Hoang received brain, head, leg, and other internal injuries and woke from a coma to discover four members of his family had perished.
'He is only human'
Outside court Mr Hoang offered forgiveness to Moanana.
"I don't hate Richard. He didn't wake up in the morning and say, 'I want to destroy the Hoang family'."
He said he was willing to meet up with Moananu once he had served his sentence.
"He is a human being at the end of the day," Mr Hoang said.
"We're all human, we all make mistakes."
Mr Hoang described the twin sons he would never get to know as "still very much my angels".
Forensic reports estimated Moananu was travelling at more than 100 kilometres per hour at the time of impact, in what was a road works 60kph zone.
Moananu claims to have no memory of the incident, but said he thought about what happened every day and vowed to "never drink again".
In sentencing, Judge Mark Buscombe described Moananu's driving as "erratic, aggressive, and grossly negligent".
He also spoke about the enduring impact of Moananu's offending on the victims' families.
"The emotional pain and loss they have suffered is severe and continuing," Judge Buscombe said.
"No sentence I can impose in this case can alleviate the pain they have suffered, and will continue to suffer, as a consequence of the offender's appalling actions that day," he said.
He sentenced Moananu to a total of 15 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 10 years.
His sentence included a 25 per cent discount for his early guilty plea.
He will be eligible for release in 2028 due to time served.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTExLTA1L2RyaXZlci1qYWlsZWQtb3Zlci1jcmFzaC10aGF0LWtpbGxlZC1wcmVnbmFudC13b21hbi10ZWVuLzEyODUzNDE20gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyODUzNDE2?oc=5
2020-11-05 06:27:00Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTExLTA1L2RyaXZlci1qYWlsZWQtb3Zlci1jcmFzaC10aGF0LWtpbGxlZC1wcmVnbmFudC13b21hbi10ZWVuLzEyODUzNDE20gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyODUzNDE2
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