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Drug-addled killer P-plate driver jailed

Georgie MooreAAP
A P-plater who caused a fatal crash while affected by drugs will spend more than five years in jail.
Camera IconA P-plater who caused a fatal crash while affected by drugs will spend more than five years in jail.

A drug-addled, sleep-deprived P-plate driver who killed a woman in a multi-car Melbourne crash will spend at least five years and eight months behind bars.

Macaulay Gray had barely slept for three days, and took GHB and ice, before he killed 43-year-old early childhood educator Rose Kelly at Seaford in December 2019.

Gray, then aged 20, had been speeding, and veering in-and-out of traffic and onto the wrong side of the road, prompting an alarmed triple-zero call before the crash.

"I'm scared as f*** man, he should not be on the road," one witness told emergency services.

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Shortly afterwards, Gray ploughed into four other motorists.

Ms Kelly died. Two men and another woman survived.

"What have I done?" Gray said.

"Have I hurt anybody?"

Gray rolled on the ground and wailed when he found out Ms Kelly was dead.

An empty syringe was found inside his ute, and a zip lock bag with three tablets in his wallet.

County Court Judge Kevin Doyle on Friday jailed Gray for a maximum of nine years and four months.

"Very often this court deals with cases where young men such as yourself and around your age, under the influence of drugs, drive their motor vehicles irresponsibly and dangerously and cause the death of another person. This is what you did," the judge told Gray.

He must serve five years and eight months before becoming eligible for release on parole.

He previously pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death, and three counts of conduct endangering life.

Ms Kelly had been on her way to work at the Windsor Community Children's Centre, where she was the director.

She left behind an 11-year-old son. He told the court he wished he could see her face, hug her and tell her he loved her.

He missed being able to tell his mum about his day and basketball wins.

The woman's husband said he second-guessed his decisions now because he was not used to making them on his own.

Another driver injured in the crash said what haunted her most was seeing Ms Kelly afterwards.

Gray has a history of drug use and psychological problems, poor emotional regulation and impulse control. He was considered psycho-socially immature compared with most people his age.

He began using cannabis at the age of 13, moved onto party drugs and was introduced to ice when he was 16.

Now 22, he has post-traumatic stress disorder from the crash, suffering nightmares and flashbacks, and is depressed.

Gray has stopped using drugs and alcohol, and written an apology to the court.

His licence has been cancelled and he is banned from driving for six years.

He's already spent 45 days in custody, which will count towards his sentence.

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