Killarney Vale: Drink-driver Kristie Fiona Merrett faces sentence hearing over death of boy, James Edds, 9
A woman who downed a bottle of vodka the night before driving through a give-way sign, killing a boy, 9, vowed she would “never drink again” after her first mid-range offence, a court has heard.
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A woman wrote a letter to a court vowing she would never drink again after she was picked up for mid-range DUI in February 2021.
But despite her heartfelt intention, Kristie Anne Fiona Merrett had just got over her interlock period by a “couple of months” when she was again intoxicated and behind the wheel.
However, this time another court heard the decision would “destroy lives” when she sailed through a give-way sign and into another car, killing a nine-year-old boy and severely injuring his mother.
The 52-year-old from Bellingen faced a sentence hearing at Gosford District Court on Friday, April 12, after pleading guilty to aggravated dangerous driving and causing harm by misconduct.
Merrett also pleaded guilty to a separate count of possessing a small amount of cannabis, which was found in her car along with an empty bottle of Absolut Vodka after the fatal crash on January 4, 2023.
The court heard it was her second drink-driving offence in just under two years and came after she wrote to a Coffs Harbour Local Court Magistrate that she “was clearly and stupidly wrong” when she decided to drive the first time.
Merrett was suspended from driving for three months and put on an interlock device for a further 18 months.
But she had only just got over the interlock period when she had a “terrible fight” with her then partner and decided to drive down to the Central Coast to see her mother on January 1 last year.
Merrett texted another family member and signed off proudly that she was “4weeks 3days sober yay” (sic).
Giving evidence Merrett said after the fight she made an even worse decision to buy a bottle of vodka and check into a motel at Wamberal — rather than stay at her mother’s house — to hide her “dirty little secret” that she was going to drink again.
Merrett said she “blacked out” after drinking the entire bottle but woke up the next morning and “thought I was okay to drive”.
However she agreed she clearly wasn’t when she failed to see a silver Toyota Camry coming the other way as she approached a give-way sign at the intersection of Mort St and George Evans Drive, Killarney Vale, about 12.45pm.
The Camry driver, Anastasia Edds, and her only son James, 9, were returning from the shops to buy school shoes and a soccer ball with his own money.
James was in the rear left passenger seat, which took the brunt of the impact.
Mrs Edds was treated for a fractured spine while James underwent emergency brain surgery but sadly died three days later.
His two grandmothers and one of his grandfathers read victim impact statements in court on Friday where they said James’ death had destroyed their family.
“I hope James haunts you, Kristie Anne Merrett, till the day you die,” James’ grandfather said.
One of his grandmothers said the crash had caused “endless trauma” while the other said “I lost my grandson, my angel, all because you got angry with your life”.
Merrett told the court she was a “chronic alcoholic” who had tried rehabilitation, counselling and smartphone apps to stop drinking.
“I know I have destroyed lives,” she said.
She returned a high range blood alcohol reading at the scene before a blood sample taken at hospital recorded an official reading of 0.187.
However a police forensic pharmacologist estimated at the time of the crash her reading would have been closer to 0.220.
Merrett, who has been remanded in custody since she pleaded guilty in October last year, will be sentenced next Friday.
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