Drink-driver jailed over deadly crash

A WOMAN who killed a motorcyclist after driving on the wrong side of the road while under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs will spend at least four years behind bars.

Kristel Cee-Ann Cowen was yesterday sentenced to six years jail, with a non-parole period of four years, over the death of Bridgewater man and father Dion Hardy, 48, on October 14, 2016.

The Rosetta mother of two will also be disqualified from driving for five years from the day of her release.

Mr Hardy’s devastated wife, Larna Fisher, cried in court as Justice Michael Brett handed down the sentence yesterday.

Cowen, 38, pleaded guilty to Mr Hardy’s manslaughter in May. The court heard Cowen was driving on the wrong side of the Brooker Highway when she struck Mr Hardy just north of the Elwick Rd intersection at a speed of 62km/h, in a 40km/h roadworks zone.

He was thrown more than 10m from his motorcycle and died almost instantly from serious head injuries.

A blood sample taken at the time of the crash revealed Cowen was more than four times over the legal blood alcohol limit, returning a reading of 0.213 per cent.

Justice Brett said Cowen had fallen “into a pattern of binge drinking” following the death of her partner and a separate traumatic experience three weeks before the incident.

“Your blood alcohol level alone made it impossible to control a vehicle safely,” he said.

“Your decision to drive was deliberate. This is among the more serious examples of this crime.”

A number of prescription medications were also detected in Cowen’s system.

Justice Brett said Cowen had a “lengthy record” of driving offences and was on bail for two drink-driving charges when she committed the crime, significantly aggravating her guilt.

“There’s nothing I can say or do that will restore Mr Hardy to his family,” he said.

“Your culpable negligence was responsible.”

Justice Brett recognised Cowen had shown remorse and was suffering post traumatic stress disorder at the time of the offence.