Three months jail for P-plater’s fatal crash while drink driving, using Snapchat

A woman who caused a fatal high-speed crash while drink driving and filming a Snapchat video will spend only three months behind bars.

A young woman who caused a high-speed crash that killed her workmate, 23, while drink driving and filming a Snapchat video of herself, will spend only three months behind bars.

Kate Ellen Alford, then 19 and on P plates, had been drinking at a pub before getting behind the wheel of her Toyota Prado to drive herself and Amy Pilgrim 130 kilometres back to the cattle station where they worked.

Judge Michael Burnett said a concerned friend who had earlier cautioned Alford about drinking and driving, travelled behind them and said Alford was exceeding the 100 km/h speed limit before the crash.

On Thursday, Alford pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing the death of Ms Pilgrim, drink driving, using a handheld mobile phone while driving and failing to wear a seatbelt, in September, 2020.

Kate Alford was jailed after pleading guilty to multiple charges.

Amy Pilgrim, who died at the crash scene, had come to Queensland from her family’s Victorian farm to fulfil her dream of working on a large Central Queensland cattle station, her family said.

The court heard after Alford had spent an afternoon drinking and socialising with workmates at a Springsure hotel, a local had driven her car out of town, before she took over the driving.

Alford, a P2 provisional licence holder, and Ms Pilgrim stopped for a short break about 20 minutes later, and when they set off again neither was wearing a seatbelt.

Amy Pilgrim.

As Alford approached a crest that veered to the left on the bitumen road, she started filming a six-second Snapchat video of herself driving, on her mobile phone.

Judge Burnett said Alford moved the phone around, filming herself looking into the camera, before filming Ms Pilgrim in the front passenger seat.

A scream could be heard on the video as Alford lost control of the car, which veered off the road, up onto the dirt shoulder, clipping a tree, before rolling a number of times.

Amy Pilgrim was thrown from the car, landing 20 metres away from where the Prado ended up.

The friend in the other car arrived shortly after the accident, but after checking on Ms Pilgrim, who appeared lifeless, had to drive away to get phone reception to call emergency services.

Crown prosecutor Sarah Dennis said when the woman returned Alford was performing CPR and repeatedly crying out “I killed Amy. I’m going to jail. I killed her”, before passing out.

Amy Pilgrim died in the traffic accident.

Ms Pilgrim died as a result of multiple catastrophic injuries, the court heard.

Two hours after the accident Alford had a blood alcohol reading of .071.

Judge Burnett said Amy Pilgrim’s life had been tragically and abruptly cut short by Alford’s criminal negligence, which had a profound ongoing effect on Amy’s family.

He said it always amazed him that people engaged in “narcissistic behaviour when they should be focused on the road ahead”.

“This is a case where there are no winners,” Judge Burnett said.

The judge said it was a very bad instance of dangerous driving causing death, compounded by Alford’s use of alcohol, the speed involved and her distraction while using a mobile phone.

“It is an unfortunate reality that these cases commonly do involve young people with excessive self confidence and immature youth, who are recklessly indifferent to their own safety and the safety of others on the road,” Judge Burnett said.

The court heard Alford began drinking heavily to cope after the fatal accident and was diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.

The judge considered Alford’s early guilty plea, her remorse, her youth, lack of criminal or traffic history and her “excellent antecedents’’, and the need for rehabilitation.

“Ultimately it is much better for the community, you, after having served time, are encouraged to get on with life … to make amends as best you can for the tragedy you visited upon another family,’’ Judge Burnett said.

Alford was sentenced to three years’ jail, suspended after three months, operational for five years, for dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death. She also was sentenced to concurrent three months’ jail and 18 months’ probation for drink driving and disqualified from driving for four years.

Amy Pilgrim’s parents, Kate and Steven Pilgrim, who had come from Victoria with daughter Jessica, 26, and son Ben, 20, said they were disappointed with the sentence.

Sister Jess Pilgrim and parents Steven and Kate Pilgrim after the sentence of Kate Alford, who was driving during the crash which killed Amy. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“We knew no sentence handed down was going to reduce the pain we all live with daily, after the loss of our beautiful child and sister Amy,’’ the family said.

“Three months’ imprisonment is nothing in comparison to the life sentence we have to live without Amy, after Amy’s senseless loss of life.’’

Kate Pilgrim, 52, said her bubbly, vivacious daughter was a hardworking young woman who had excelled in sport and everything she tried, who had been passionate about life and feared dying.

She had daily chats with Amy and has memories of her happy daughter sending her photos of the Queensland sunrise, saying: “Good morning Mummy, look what I’m waking up to. How’s your day?’’.

Alford will spend three months behind bars. Picture: Supplied

“This hell is never going to go away. We live in a new world of hopelessness, loneliness and life without Amy,’’ Mrs Pilgrim said, in a victim impact statement for court.

“We are always looking for our baby, always playing catch up. There is no end. This is hell. The tears never end.’’

Amy’s friend, Tup Forge, who had travelled from Victoria to work with Amy on the cattle station, where they shared a room, said her friend had absolutely loved her job.

“We were going to keep on working in Queensland, moving from station to station, but Amy didn’t get to go home,’’ Ms Forge said.

Amy’s family were only able to have 20 people at her funeral in her Victorian home town of Nhill, because of Covid-19, but members of the local sports and riding clubs formed a guard of honour in the street.