Killarney Vale: Kristie Anne Fiona Merrett sentenced for drink-driving death of James Edds

A repeat drink-driver who was not long over her interlock period when she ploughed into another car, killing a boy, 9, while more than five times the limit has been sentenced. Here’s what she got.

Kristie Merrett (right) has been sentenced for the drink-driving death of James Edds (left), 9, at Killarney Vale in January 2023. Picture: supplied

As a chronic alcoholic Kristie Fiona Anne Merrett didn’t just fall off the wagon after a terrible fight with her then partner, she crashed it so badly she left a trail of “destroyed lives” in her wake — not least of which was a nine-year-old boy’s and her own.

The 52-year-old was sentenced in Gosford District Court on Friday to five years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.

Merrett sat with her head bowed when Judge Justin Smith delivered the sentence while family members of the victim — James Edds, 9, — were overcome with grief.

But long after the tears fade and the dust settles, it was a sentence even His Honour acknowledged was an “impossible equation” to balance the “value of the life lost” with the punishment “metered out to the offender”.

“I know my selfish addiction had caused me to do something that I never thought I would do,” Merrett had told the court last week at her sentence hearing.

“I wanted to die and I wanted to die for some good time after that.”

Merrett’s Lexus SUV after the crash at the corner of Mort St and George Evans Rd, Killarney Vale. Picture: NewsLocal

Merrett had been four-weeks sober and proud enough to text the achievement to a relative on January 1 last year when she drove down from her home at Bellingen on the Mid North Coast to see her mum on the Central Coast.

But after a fight over the phone with her then partner Merrett stopped in at BYO Cellars at Wyong for a bottle of Absolut vodka on January 3 before checking into Seaside Garden Retreat.

Kristie Merrett (left), 52, of Bellingen, outside Gosford Local Court, after being granted bail for dangerous driving occasioning the death of James Edds, 9, while under the influence. Picture: NewsLocal

She told the court she got a room at the Wamberal motel to hide her “dirty little secret” that she was going to drink again, rather than stay at her mum’s.

After “blacking out” from drinking the whole bottle she woke up the next day feeling “s--t” because of the fight but “okay to drive”.

She was reminiscing through the backstreets of Killarney Vale when she completely failed to see a Toyota Camry as she sailed through a give way sign at the intersection of Mort St and George Evans Drive about 12.45pm.

Grieving dad Stewart Edds holding a picture of his son James Edds, who was killed in the crash. Picture: Julian Andrews

The Camry driver, Anastasia Edds, and her only child James, 9, were returning from the shops where they had just bought school shoes and James had paid for a new soccer ball out of his own money.

James was trapped in the wreckage before being flown to John Hunter Hospital where, tragically, he died three days later.

Mrs Edds suffered a fractured spine.

Young James took the brunt of the impact when Merrett’s SUV hit his mum’s Camry. Picture: NewsLocal

Police found the empty vodka bottle, along with a small amount of cannabis in Merrett’s Lexus SUV.

She later returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.187 at hospital but a forensic pharmacologist estimated at the time of the crash Merrett would have been closer to 0.220 — more than five times the limit.

It wasn’t the first time Merrett had been done for drink-driving, having been disqualified for three months and put on an interlock device for 12 months for a mid-range offence on February 7, 2021.

The court heard she had only just got over the interlock period by a “few months” when she caused the fatality.

On Friday Judge Smith said Merrett wrote a letter to the Coffs Harbour Magistrate after her first drink-driving offence where she described it as a “stupid decision” and promised she would “never do it again”.

“Sadly she did not live up to her word and the disastrous outcomes have come to pass,” Judge Smith said.

With time served since she was remanded in custody Merrett will be eligible for parole on February 24, 2027.

She was also disqualified from driving for four years.

Outside court Merrett’s solicitor, leading Central Coast lawyer Michelle Karim said her client had expressed her remorse and regret for her actions and hoped when she was released that she could move on and be “a productive member of society”.

“This has been a tragic and devastating case and Ms Merrett hopes that the (victim’s) family are able to find some closure through the finalisation of these proceedings,” Ms Karim said.