SA District Court jails Nathan Lee McArdle for killing young mother Elishia Iannella, seriously injuring partner

A SUICIDAL drunk driver who crashed into a house, killing a young mother and seriously injuring her partner, claims he sneezed at an intersection, losing control of his car.

A SPEEDING, drunk driver who crashed into a house, killing a young mother and seriously injuring her partner, will spend at least 3 ½ years behind bars.

Nathan Lee McArdle, 29, was jailed for six years and three months after pleading guilty to causing the death of Elishia Iannella by dangerous driving at Murray Bridge in June last year.

McArdle also pleaded guilty to seriously injuring her partner, Matthew Macklin, who had proposed to Ms Iannella several weeks before the incident.

During sentencing submissions last week, Ms Iannella’s 8-year-old daughter, Adaya, asked why she was not taken to heaven with her mother.

In sentencing today, District Court Judge Peter Brebner said McArdle had been drinking, after a relationship breakdown, when he called the pastor at his local church.

“You told him you were drinking and that you were driving and that you had nothing to live for,” he said.

Judge Brebner said McArdle was driving to see the pastor when, according to McArdle, he sneezed at a T-junction and crashed into Ms Iannella’s house.

He said McArdle had no recollection of the crash, that his blood alcohol limit was an estimated 0.14 and that he was travelling at between 57km/h and 78km/h.

“Your ability to safely control your vehicle as you progressed along the road in question was significantly compromised by a combination of alcohol, speed, inattention and the emotional state in which you were in,” he said.

“You took the life of an entirely innocent female and you caused very serious injuries to an innocent man.”

Judge Brebner sentenced McArdle to a non-parole period of three years and six months and disqualified him from driving for 14 years.

Outside court, Mr Macklin said every day since the crash had been a struggle.

He said he would remember Ms Iannella as a wonderful fiancee with a beautiful smile.

“I thought (McArdle) would get off a lot easier but it’s still not enough,” he said.

Ms Iannella’s father, Peter Iannella, said he was satisfied with the sentence.

“He got a reasonable sentence but my granddaughter has got a life sentence without her mother,” he said.

“I hope this is seen as a deterrent for other morons who want to try to do the same thing.”

Mr Iannella said there was no excuse for McArdle’s decision to drink and drive.

“(If people want to drink and drive) come home and chat to me and I will fill them in on what they are about to do and what they are about to cause to the family around them,” he said.

“On a highway you expect accidents to happen but when you are lying in bed expecting to fall asleep and you see a car come crashing through the wall it’s incomprehensible.”