A Canberra P-plater who hit and killed a cyclist on Lady Denman Drive last year has been sentenced to three years in jail by the ACT Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
Ronan Jason Grey, 20, pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death, after he lost control of his car, before hitting cyclist Alicia Jauregui.<\/p>\n
The 36-year-old from Uruguay had only been in Australia for a few weeks, working as a tennis coach.<\/p>\n
Today, her family watched the sentencing via video link as Acting Justice Paul Slattery remarked on the silence her loss had left and their “immense, impossible-to-fill void”.<\/p>\n
He said it was impossible to “assuage the grief”.<\/p>\n
But he also noted Grey’s remorse expressed in a letter to the court.<\/p>\n
“You accept you have deprived the world of an exceptional woman,” Acting Justice Slattery told Grey.<\/p>\n
Uninsured, unregistered and unroadworthy vehicle<\/p>\n
The court heard the crash happened when Grey had illegally overtaken another car, and then spun out of control, hitting Ms Jauregui side on.<\/p>\n
Acting Justice Slattery listed the injuries Ms Jauregui sustained, which included a serious head injury, broken ribs and fractures to the thoracic and lumbar spine.<\/p>\n
Bystanders and then paramedics tried to revive Ms Jauregui without success.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ronan Jason Grey has been sentenced to three years in jail after hitting and killing a cyclist on Lady Denman Drive last year. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)<\/p>\n
“The injuries suffered by [Ms Jauregui] were not survivable,” Acting Justice Slattery said.<\/p>\n
Grey had only just bought the car, which had failed a registration test due to several needed repairs, including to his bald tyres.<\/p>\n
At the time of the crash, the car was unregistered, uninsured and unroadworthy, the court heard.<\/p>\n
“You drove \u2026 despite knowing what was wrong with the car \u2026 and you drove dangerously,” Acting Justice Slattery said.<\/p>\n
Grey had recently crashed another car, the first one he had owned.<\/p>\n
On the day in question, Grey said he had been emotional, driving to deliver a letter to an estranged friend, something that was also remarked on by the judge.<\/p>\n