Henry Jennings’ parents mourn loss as Andrea D’Onofrio sentenced for fatal New Year’s Day hit and run

A court has heard how a driver was ‘very drunk’, distracted by his phone and speeding when he hit popular young Sunshine Coast man Henry Jennings on New Year’s Day.

The parents of a young man who was killed when a drink driver struck him on New Year’s Day say there are no words to describe the pain and anguish of losing their only son.

Henry Jennings, 21, died when he was hit by a car while walking home from a night out celebrating the new year in Maroochydore.

The Maroochydore District Court heard on Monday Andrea D’Onofrio, 25, was drunk, distracted by his phone and speeding in a bus lane and failed to stop when his car hit Mr Jennings.

He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving two years and three months.

Mr Jennings’ mother Alison and father Peter delivered powerful victim-impact statements in court on Monday.

Henry Jennings’ parents say they are “numb” following his tragic death.

“Our only son, our only child, love of our lives,” Mr Jenning said.

“We are shattered, there are no words to express our pain and anguish.

“We’ll never know what he was to achieve in life.”

Mr Jennings said he and his wife were “living in a void” and just going through the motions each day.

The court heard Henry was their “miracle child” and was conceived through their third round of IVF.

He would have turned 22 last Thursday.

“He was so ready for the next stage of his life.”

Mr Jennings said he had nightmares of his son lying “broken” at the scene of the crash.

He said D’Onofrio’s actions were unforgivable.

“That you did not stop at the accident is beyond comprehension,” Mr Jennings said to D’Onofrio.

“We did everything to keep him as safe as we could, we couldn’t save him from your actions.”

Mrs Jennings told the court she was “shattered and numb”.

“He was my world,” she said.

“(He was) so full of love, so full of life.

“We last saw him on New Year’s Eve, we had a family hug as we all headed out.

“About eight of his friends were staying with us, they all came home except him.”

Andrea D’Onofrio (left) leaves court after a mention earlier in the year.

D’Onofrio pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and leaving the scene without obtaining help.

The court heard he handed himself into police the morning after the crash after seeing the damage of his car and talking to his parents.

There was no blood alcohol reading for D’Onofrio, but he told police during an interview he was “very drunk” and had consumed several beers and about a third of a bottle of scotch before stepping behind the wheel.

Crown prosecutor Christopher Cook said D’Onofrio was driving from Alexandra Headland to his residence in Mudjimba.

D’Onofrio told police he likely did not see Mr Jennings in the bus lane “because of the drink or probably because I was looking at Google Maps”.

The court heard D’Onofrio was driving between 70 and 86km/h in a 60km/h zone.

Mr Cook said the crash was an avoidable tragedy.

Defence barrister Luke De Michele said it was in D’Onofrio’s favour that he pleaded guilty at an early chance; he had handed himself into police; and admitted he had been drinking.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Michael Byrne said it was “callous” of D’Onofrio not to stop at the crash.

“Whatever you had hit you knew you had hit something or somebody and you did not stop,” he said.

His licence was disqualified for three and half years and a conviction was recorded.

D’Onofrio, who is from Italy, was in Australia on a visa and is likely to be deported upon his release from prison.

Mr Jennings told the Daily he would like to urge the community to be aware of the dangers of mobile phone use and drink driving.