Jail time for killer drunken speeder

Banned driver Christopher David McGrath, 27, killed father-of-one Andrew Watkin at Gooramadda in January last year.

McGrath had been speeding at 190km/h minutes before crashing into the 41-year-old’s car at between 137km/h and 147km/h.

He had a blood alcohol reading of 0.083 about an hour-and-a-half later and had twice been caught drink-driving before the smash.

Mr Watkin’s son, Harry, had been too distressed to attend previous hearings, but went to the Wodonga County Court on Tuesday to see McGrath jailed.

“It’s good, but it doesn’t bring your dad back,” the 18-year-old said.

“It was sort of a relief that it’s all over and done with.

“I haven’t been able to come to court, I just couldn’t really deal with it.

“I came today just to see the sentencing.

“It was even pretty hard just for today.”

Mr Watkin’s mother, Margaret Maroney, said Harry had been left on his own after his death.

“He had such a great relationship with his dad, best mates,” she said.

“It’s a very fragile time.

“We keep asking ourselves why.

“A few seconds later, maybe we’d still have our Andrew.”

McGrath again broke down when family members’ victim impact statements were read out.

He will miss the birth of his first child in June after receiving a maximum jail term of eight years and nine months.

Judge Geoffrey Chettle hopes the sentence will deter others from making the same choices as McGrath.

He said the offending was at the upper level of culpable driving causing death.

“Mr Watkin’s family will forever mourn his death,” he told McGrath.

“Your family will have to see you go to jail.”

The North Albury man also had his licence cancelled and disqualified for a decade.

McGrath did not react as he was led out of the court to start his sentence.

The late man's sister, Rachael Watkin, said the sentence didn't feel like justice, but welcomed the fact McGrath was off the road. 

“We don't want (this) to happen to any other family,” she said.

“Hopefully, six years or eight years or however long (he's in jail), he has a chance to rehab and come out a better person.”