A renowned vet known as the “Good Death” doctor killed two family members while allegedly drunk behind the wheel of her car – and is now free on bail.
The family of mother-of-two Jessica Failla, 33, and grandmother Brenda Barker, 71, were devastated by the County Court’s decision last week to bail Balwyn North vet Dr Emma Whiston as she faces serious indictable charges over last year’s deadly crash in Templestowe.
“It’s a real slap in the face. You’ve got two people deceased … and I’ll need to visit the cemetery to see my mum (on Mother’s Day),” Ms Barker’s daughter Michelle Cavallo said through tears.
Ms Failla, from Geelong, and Ms Barker, from Bundoora, were on their way to a family funeral when Dr Whiston allegedly smashed into them head-on on Fitzsimons Lane just after 9am on July 7, 2025.
It was the school holidays and Dr Whiston was allegedly over the legal limit when she struck the women at speed, leaving them with unsurvivable injuries.
“I knew something was wrong when I got to the funeral and mum wasn’t there. She was always early everywhere she went,” Ms Cavallo said.
“My aunt, my cousin and I all left the funeral and drove the direction we thought mum would have come and then I got a call from police saying my mum was dead.
“I just remember screaming at the top of my voice. I had to then go back to the burial site (of my other cousin) and inform the rest of our family my mum and cousin were killed. It was a horrific day.”
Ms Failla’s children were aged just 9 and 11 at the time of her death and are now staring down the reality of their first Mother’s Day without her.
“Her children are struggling, all of us are,” Ms Cavallo said.
Dr Whiston, educated at the University of Melbourne, has been widely acclaimed for her work, operating Australia’s first veterinary home euthanasia service, My Best Friend, since 2004.
Her career was featured on the silver screen in an acclaimed 2024 documentary titled ‘The Leash Comes Loose’, which detailed how she alleviates the suffering of pets by giving them a “good death” while also navigating her own mental health struggles.
She was removed from the Victorian register of veterinary practitioners in August 2025, weeks after the double fatal tragedy, for unknown reasons.
After the crash, Dr Whiston applied for an interim suppression order which was later withdrawn.
Carbone Lawyers senior associate Samantha Mercuri, who is representing Ms Cavallo and her family on nervous shock claims, said Dr Whiston’s bail conditions were distressing for the family.
The bail conditions set for Dr Whiston include a nightly curfew and not to consume alcohol or drive a motor vehicle.
Dr Whiston, facing two counts of culpable driving causing death and reckless conduct endangering life, is yet to enter a plea and will return to court later this month.