Disqualified, killer drunk driver Lisa Trewren has jail term for killing David Hoy reduced on appeal
A killer drunk driver – who was already disqualified when she struck and killed a man in the Hills – has had her sentence reduced.
Police & Courts
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A disqualified killer drunk driver who claimed the life of beloved Adelaide Hills identity David Hoy has had her sentence reduced on appeal.
In a judgment handed down on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal granted permission for Lisa Maria Trewren, 40, to appeal and reduced the term of imprisonment imposed last year.
Trewren had pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated causing death by dangerous driving after she struck Mr Hoy, 31 – who was also known as Amy – as he walked along the side of the road collecting cans about 11pm on December 20, 2021.
Last year, the court heard she had downed 12 beers during the day and had vomited before veering into a guard rail on Mount Barker Rd at Totness and striking Mr Hoy, who was “vaulted” into the air.
Two months before the crash Trewren, of Murray Bridge, had been disqualified from driving for a year because she had been caught drink driving.
In sentencing, District Court Judge Paul Muscat said Trewren’s actions were “selfish and totally irresponsible”.
He jailed her for eight years, reduced to six because of her early plea, with a non-parole period of four years, nine months and 18 days.
The Court of Appeal – comprising of President Mark Livesey, Appeals Justice Sophie David and Auxiliary Appeals Justice Kevin Nicholson – granted the appeal and imposed a new sentence of six years and six months, reduced to four years, 10 months and 16 days for her guilty plea. They set a new non-parole period of three years, 10 months and 24 days.
The sentence was backdated to December 21, 2021, when she was arrested and taken into custody.
They further disqualified her from driving for 15 years after her release from prison.
During the appeal hearing which also considered other drink driving matters, Director of Public Prosections Martin Hinton had asked the court to consider Trewren’s case with two others as a “subset” of dangerous driving crashes leading to death.
He told the court there had been a hardening of attitudes toward dangerous driving which should be reflected in sentences imposed for the crime.
He said the dangers of drink and drug driving had been advertised to thoroughly through public campaigns and police activity that the knowledge must now be considered in the public psyche.
“Sentences must reflect the fact that we know that driving intoxicated, whether it be by reason of drink or drugs, is inherently dangerous,” he said.
During the appeal hearings, Paul Charman, for Trewren, said his client’s remorse had not been taken into account by the sentencing judge and her penalty should be reduced.
One of those other cases considered at the time same was that of Lief Branscheid, who had meth, heroin and valium in his system when he killed 46-year-old Alina Andrews in a crash at Kersbrook on March 10, 2020. He was jailed for nine years, with a non-parole period of seven years, two months and 19 days.
In a separate judgment, also handed down on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal also granted his appeal, but dismissed it. His sentence remains unchanged.