Christopher Hyslop: Driver who killed principal Deborah Locco in hit-run sentenced

A “self-centred” driver who hit and killed a much-loved school principal during a days-long meth bender has been sentenced in court.

A “self-centred and narcissistic” hit and run driver who killed a beloved school principal during a days-long meth bender has been jailed for nine years.

South Oakleigh College principal Deborah Locco, 60, had been on a Sunday afternoon bike ride along Beach Rd at Beaumaris when Christopher Hyslop, 37, fell asleep at the wheel and drifted into the bike lane.

He travelled for about 30m before his car mounted a traffic mound, striking Ms Loco from behind at dusk on May 24 last year.

In the moments after the fatal crash, he told his three young passengers “I hit him, I hit him, we’ve gotta get out of here” before driving away and ditching the “hysterical” youths and the car.

Ms Loco suffered multiple traumatic injuries and despite bystanders attempting CPR, died at the scene.

Hislop faced the Melbourne County Court on Friday for sentencing after pleading guilty to culpable driving causing death, driving without a licence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

The court heard he had been on a meth bender, barely sleeping over the previous 13 days.

Christopher Hyslop, 37, was jailed after causing the death of Deborah Locco, 60, who was cycling on Beach Rd, Beaumaris.

While it was not alleged he was driving under the influence, experts believed his “highly erratic sleeping schedule” led to a similar impairment to someone driving with a BAC of 0.2g/L – four times the legal limit.

The court heard victim impact statements from witnesses to the crash as well as David Loco, Ms Loco’s son.

Multiple witnesses testified they no longer felt safe on Melbourne roads and suffered “flashbacks” whenever they observed erratic drivers.

David said the crash had taken away his mother and his son’s grandmother, forever breaking a “special bond”.
“I will most likely never recover from the impact of this crime,” he said.

“The night of the crime I had to drive along Beach Rd looking for someone that never returned home.”

Hislop’s father wrote a letter saying “something” had changed in his son a few years back when his wife left him.

“The person that committed this offence was not the son I will always love and support,” he wrote.

Deborah Locco.

Security cameras and dashcam footage showed Hislop veering into oncoming traffic multiple times before the crash, and drug tests after he was arrested showed he had a cocktail of methamphetamine, amphetamine and cannabis in his blood.

Sentencing Hislop, Judge Elizabeth Brimer found he had a high moral culpability for the death, ignoring many signs he was unable to drive.

“The risk of harm materialised with catastrophic consequences,” she said.

“Your drug binge led to fatigue, your dangerous driving over a significant period of time led to that one moment you ended Ms Loco’s life, devastating her family and yours.”

She found he displayed “self-centred and narcissistic” behaviours following the crash and showed little, if any, signs of remorse.

Hislop was jailed for nine years and six months.

He will be eligible for parole after six years and nine months.