Families outraged over teen’s ‘short’ sentence for deaths of three people in Maryborough crash

The sister of a woman killed in a crash caused by a speeding teen driver has “no faith in the justice system” after the youth was sentenced to a minimum two years’ detention.

Nurse Sheree Robertson, 52, Kelsie Davies, 17, and pastor Michale Chandler, 29 were killed in 2023 at Maryborough on Queensland’s Fraser Coast when their vehicles collided after being struck by a stolen car driven by a 13-year-old boy.

A fourth woman, 23-year-old Kaylah Behrens, was critically injured.

The youth was on Thursday sentenced to six years’ detention and is likely to be released in just over two years’ time.

Outside court after the sentence was handed down, Robertson’s sister Lisa Latimer said she believed the youth had “no remorse”.

“There’s no faith in the justice system any more,” she said.

“How much is my sister’s life plus the other girls’ lives worth?

“It’s just not fair.

“We expected it would be a short sentence, but we were hoping for more.”

Friends and family of the victims filled the Maroochydore District Court as Judge Gary Long concluded a sentencing hearing for the youth that began in November.

Long said the youth’s offending resulted in catastrophic events and “horrendous consequences from your egregious behaviour”.

The Bundaberg youth, now aged 14, appeared via video link from custody wearing a white long-sleeved formal shirt.

The youth previously pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing three deaths and grievous bodily harm while speeding.

He also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing and unlicensed driving.

The youth, with other juveniles, stole a Mercedes-Benz from a Maryborough home on April 30, 2023, and drove at speeds between 180km/h and 200km/h.

Long said the alleged co-offenders argued with the youth and exited the vehicle after saying they feared for their lives due to his driving.

The youth was seen crossing double lines and passing within a metre of other vehicles during 10 minutes of driving that covered about 12km.

The youth hit the back of the victims’ Holden Astra sedan, forcing it into oncoming traffic.

Judge Long said a Mazda 2 vehicle, driven by Robertson returning home from a hospital shift and travelling in the opposite lane, had no chance to avoid the victims before a fatal collision.

The youth was found at the scene curled up on the ground.

“You were crying and complaining that your foot was hurting,” Long said.

“You said you were hurt everywhere but there were no observable injuries.”

At a police station, the teen told a youth justice worker he had been “driving mad and angrily” and smacked into the back of a car before hitting a tree.

“It was a dumb thing to do,” the youth said at the time. “I was angry about the argument with my friend.”

Long said Behrens suffered life-threatening, extensive and significant injuries requiring lengthy treatment and has been left with ongoing health impacts.

No sentence could undo the “grave losses and impacts that have resulted from this offending”.

The youth had been involved with child protection services since the age of eight and had been exposed to serious domestic violence and drug use.

Long said he had to take this background into account, as well as the youth’s cognitive impairment from a traumatic brain injury that affected his rational decision-making and impulse control.

The youth had convictions recorded and will be released after a little more than two years, after serving 60 per cent of the detention period and already spending 583 days in custody.

Latimer said outside court that she “just fell apart” during the sentencing by having to relive the aftermath of the crash.

“It’s a relief that it’s all over and we just have to move on the best we can,” she said.