Anthony Quinlan: Gippsland prison guard sentenced for dangerous driving causing death

A Gippsland prison guard has been sentenced after he hit and killed a motorbike rider days before his victim’s 40th wedding anniversary.

A Gippsland prison guard has avoided jail after he hit and killed a motorbike rider while driving an inmate to a medical appointment days before his victim’s 40th wedding anniversary.

Anthony Quinlan, 59 of Cape Paterson, was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order in County Court on Friday after earlier pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death and failing to give way.

Quinlan was driving on the Princes Highway in Fulham when he didn’t give way, failed to see Rodney Burney, 62 of Bairnsdale, and hit him at the Hopkins Rd intersection.

But the court heard directly after impact, Quinlan rushed to Mr Burney and called an ambulance.

Judge John Smallwood said Quinlan had “deep remorse” for his death.

“It was a momentary inadvertence with dreadful, dreadful consequences,” he said.

He added: “It was desperately unfortunate you didn’t see him.

“You showed deep remorse over what occurred immediately after and that will probably be with you for the rest of your life.”

The victim’s wife Brenda earlier told the court the hardest thing was “not being able to say goodbye” to the love of her life just days before their 40th wedding anniversary.

“I miss the sound of his voice, I miss his kisses, I miss the way he held my hand,” she said.

“I miss everything about him.”

Quinlan apologised to the Burney family in a letter, saying “not a day goes by” where he did not think about the crash.

“I can’t express in words what this would have done to you and your family,” he wrote.

The court heard Quinlan was an upstanding member of the South Gippsland community, being involved in various charity events and had an “impeccable” record.

“It’s hard to imagine a person who has put more into his local community,” Judge Smallwood said.

The former prison guard and army reserve has been in a long-term relationship with a police officer which the judge ruled would make prison life “dangerous” for Quinlan if he were jailed.

Quinlan also lost his licence for 18 months.