Steven Arnold: Kelly Brady sentenced for killing man while drink driving

The high school sweetheart of a man killed after a drunk driver ploughed into a car is urging motorists to think twice about driving under the influence.

Steven and Roxanne Arnold on November 3, 2019, a week before he was killed.

The widow of Steven Arnold, who was killed when drunk driver Kelly Aino Brady ploughed into a car in which he was the passenger at North Richmond has expressed her grief over losing her husband of 18 years.

The 41-year-old father-of-two was killed less than a kilometre from his North Richmond home on November 9 last year while he was on his way to work as an airconditioner technician.

In a cruel twist of fate, he got a lift with workmate Aaron Shepherd, 22, because he had a flat tyre.

The pair was travelling on the Bells Line of Road when Brady, 41, crashed into the car.

After suffering internal bleeding, breaking several bones and requiring almost 50 stitches to his face, Mr Shepherd survived the crash.

Brady, of Kurrajong, was charged with a blood alcohol reading of 0.150, making her three times over the legal drinking limit.

She pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death and aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm in August and, at the Sydney Downing Centre District Court on Thursday, was sentenced to seven years in jail with a non-parole period of four years and two months.

Steven and Roxanne Arnold on their wedding day at St Mark's Catholic Church Drummoyne in August 2002.

After Brady’s sentencing, Mrs Arnold pleaded with people not to get behind the wheel after drinking.

“I would like to say that the culture of driving under the influence needs to change,” she said.

“It’s not just about ‘maybe’ being pulled over by an RBT, and you may not think people are on the road at the time you’re driving, or you may take the backroads, but innocent people are using the roads all the time, and you potentially risk taking the life and futures of innocent people.

“There are no winners in these scenarios.

“How do you put a value on a life? Nothing was ever going to be enough. We got the life sentence on the 9th of November and at the end of the day nothing changes for us. Nothing brings him back.’’

Mrs Arnold, a former Macarthur Girls’ High Parramatta student, met her husband 25 years ago at a disco at Parramatta Marist, where the Winston Hills-raised teen attended.

The pair hit it off immediately and they tied the knot in 2002 before having children Charlotte, 15, and Cooper, 10.

She said her husband loved to travel. “He was a very active guy and never sat down, he was a really hard worker and loved his water skiing.’’

She also treasured the last photo the pair took together at a beach the weekend before he lost his life.

Judge David Arnott handed Brady a 25 per cent discount for pleading guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death and aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.

Charges that were withdrawn were: dangerous driving occasioning death, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning death, negligent driving (occasions grievous bodily harm), not keep left of dividing line and high-range PCA.