Cairns crime: Morris Ling sentenced over death of Ailsa Satini in Manoora car crash

The mother of a young woman killed in a shocking collision has made a heart-wrenching plea after the man responsible for her daughter’s death was sentenced. Her message to drivers.

A VIVACIOUS young woman is dead and dozens of lives are shattered in the aftermath of a horrific car crash when a man “took a drunken gamble with the lives of others”.

Ailsa ‘Rani’ Satini, 20, died of catastrophic head injuries on a Cairns road just after midnight on July 3 last year and the man responsible was sentenced in Cairns Supreme Court on Tuesday for manslaughter and aggravated dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance while excessively speeding.

Justice James Henry sentenced Morris Ling, 35, to six years and four years to be served cumulatively – effectively a 10-year sentence, with no parole date.

Outside court, Rani’s devastated mother Tracy Satini indicated no sentence would be sufficient for the loss of her daughter.

The parents of Ailsa ‘Rani’ Satini, pictured outside Cairns Supreme Court after the sentencing of Morris Ling, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, pleaded with the community not to let a drunk person drive. Their 20-year-old daughter died in a car crash at Manoora in July 2021.

“She was very loveable, always happy and loved her family very much, she was a talented rugby league player,” Mrs Satini said.

“This has been devastating, we are all seeing psychologists, we have PTSD, we have lost our jobs.

“The last time I saw her I said ‘would you like me to drive you up, you can have a few drinks’ and she said ‘no mum, it’s fine I’m not drinking, I’ll drive the boys, I’m playing football at Yarrabah in the morning’.”

Mrs Satini was among 11 family members including Rani’s four older brothers – two of whom suffered injuries in the shocking crash, along with her boyfriend, in court to learn the fate of Mr Ling, who is Rani’s uncle.

Ailsa ‘Rani’ Satini, 20, was a promising rugby league talent. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Just – when you get drink driving, it is not OK, so look after your loved ones, if you see somebody doing this, take the keys off them,” Mrs Satini said through a flood of tears.

“Look after your loved ones.”

The court heard that Rani was the designated driver of her Mazda 3 at a birthday celebration for Mr Ling at Edge Hill Tavern and she was in the driver’s seat when Mr Ling – who had a blood alcohol concentration of. 218 – told her to get in the passenger’s seat and took the keys off her, despite protests from brothers Anthony and Isiah and boyfriend Ethan, in the back seat.

He drove at up to 135km/h in a 50km/h zone on Enmore Road, accelerating through red lights at the Reservoir Rd intersection, slamming into a Rav 4 driven by nurse Kimberley Coates, who suffered life-changing injuries.

The car then slammed so hard into a powerpole it tipped vertically, split the power pole, and killed Rani, who was in the front seat.

Family members of Ailsa ‘Rani’ Satini arrive at the Cairns Supreme Court for the sentencing of Morris Ling, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Photo: Brendan Radke

Justice Henry told Mr Ling he chose to gamble with lives by deliberately driving through a red light.

“You were well enough aware your back seat passengers were unhappy with you being the driver,” Justice Henry said.

“The entire manoeuvre was obviously calculated in your drunken mind at showing off to your younger passengers, somehow thrilling and impressing them with the extraordinary risk you were taking.”

He said the family’s victim impact statement told of the “agonising impact Rani’s loss had”.

“You arrogantly ignored the safety and wishes of your passengers ... and made a calculated choice to drive in a deliberately dangerous way,” Justice Henry said.

“It does not escape my attention that you have had repeated alcohol-related criminal episodes in the past.”

He absolutely disqualified Mr Ling fron driving.

He said it was “devastating criminal conduct” and concluded by directing the police officer to “take him down”.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Morris Ling sentenced over death of Ailsa Satini in Manoora car crash