Stewart Andrew Casey in jail after crash kills two women

A 36-year-old drug addict who was high on meth when his car slammed into a vehicle carrying four members of one family in the Bundaberg region, killing two of them, has faced the survivors in court.

The Bishop family has struggled constantly with grief since losing “two generations of women” in a horrific car accident involving drug driver Steward Andrew Casey.

The Bishop family has struggled constantly with grief since losing “two generations of women” in a horrific car accident involving drug driver Stewart Andrew Casey.

Casey, 36, faced the Bundaberg District Court on Friday via video link from the Maryborough Correctional Centre where he has spent more than 10 months since killing two women in a head-on collision on Goodwood Road, between Bundaberg and Childers.

The court heard that on March 21, 2021, Maryanne, Jessyica, Kristina and another family member were travelling home from Bundaberg in Kristina’s Toyota Camry after celebrating Jessyica’s daughter’s fourth birthday.

Casey was travelling in the opposite direction on the same road that day, and had spent half an hour before the crash tailgating another vehicle while high on methylamphetamine.

It would be Casey’s split-second decision to overtake the vehicle on that stretch of road that would haunt the Bishop family forever.

Pulling into the oncoming lane with just 20m between his car and the Bishop’s Camry to spare, Casey hit the car head-on while both vehicles were doing about 100km/h.

The collision was so severe, 52-year old mother and grandmother Maryanne died trapped inside the vehicle.

Kristina, Jessyica and Jessyica’s daughter were airlifted to a Brisbane Hospital for severe and traumatic injuries.

Casey, 36, faced the Bundaberg District Court on Friday via video link from the Maryborough Correctional Centre where he has spent more than 10 months since killing two women in a head-on collision on Goodwood Road, between Bundaberg and Childers.

Thirty-two-year old mother of three Jessyica died after hours of fighting for life in a Brisbane hospital.

Kristina suffered severe injuries, including a traction injury to the left knee, two broken bones and a toe and a broken left pelvis, and required an external fixation on her left leg and a compound brace to her tibia and fibula.

She was bedridden for months and wheelchair bound for six months.

She remains on crutches, needs a hip replacement and physiotherapy for the next three years.

Jessyica’s daughter was also seriously injured, needing surgery on her arm after it popped out during the accident.

Jessyica Bishop

The Crown Prosecutor told the court that Casey had left mental scars on family members who now suffered depression and PTSD, reading aloud victim impact statements from Kristina and Shailey Bishop.

Aleice Bishop took the stand to face Casey, where she broke down in tears reading her own victim impact statement, and recalled the day she lost her mother, Maryanne, and sister Jessyica.

“I’m more anxious... I never want to leave the house,” she said.

“It’s my birthday tomorrow, my first birthday without my mum and sister.”

The court heard that while a nine-year gap in Casey’s offending was identified between 2010-2019, he had a four-page criminal history and a four-page traffic history where he accumulated a number of convictions from 2019 onwards.

His most recent history included two drug driving offences, one within 11 days of the crash taking place.

“That offending while coming to the notice of both he and the authorities had not yet been finalised, as so, he was subject to those notices at the time of this offending,” the Crown Prosecutor said.

Lawyer Nick Larter told the court Casey came from a “good family background” and his parents were married for more than 40 years, but had succumbed to domestic violence and problems with drugs.

“He has two children who are in their early teens and had remained consistently employed,” he said.

Casey was undertaking a substance abuse course in jail after he had continued to use meth after being introduced to the substance in 2019.

Judge Leanne Clare addressed Casey, saying the family was trying to explain the depth of their suffering as a result of his actions.

“They’ve spoken of raw, unbearable, relentless grief, the loss of two good people who were central to the world of their extended family,” she said.

“Two people who are irreplaceable.”

Judge Clare gave Casey the opportunity to address the victim’s family.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish what I did upon anyone. I wish I could take it all back.”

Judge Clare reiterated to Casey that he would have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life, and took his early plea of guilty into consideration when handing down her sentence.

“You fairly accept that the damage to yourself was insignificant by comparison to the destruction that you caused others,” she said. “You have accepted and stated in an open court that what you did you’ll have to life with for the rest of your life.

“One might think that is at least a very human reaction and I accept you appear genuinely remorseful.”

Casey was sentenced to 10 years jail, including his 10 months already served, and will not be eligible for parole for at least eight years.