Party girl Emily Alyse Hobson had ice in system when she struck and killed 62-year-old dad Colin Paea
A Tullamarine party girl driving to a friend’s house at 2.30am had meth in her system and an ice pipe in her car when she struck and killed a 62-year-old rugby-loving dad known as “The Big C” remembered by family as the “life of the party”.
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A party girl who had meth in her system when she struck and killed a pedestrian in Melbourne’s northwest has avoided a jail sentence.
Emily Alyse Hobson, 30, was sentenced in the County Court on Thursday to a two-year-community correction order after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
Hobson had just left her Tullamarine home when she struck and killed her 62-year-old victim Colin Paea about 2.30am on March 3 2018.
The party girl — who had decided to “visit” a friend in Maribyrnong — struck Mr Paea on Mickleham Rd.
Mr Paea died “almost immediately” after the impact threw him about 16m along the road, the court was told.
Hobson then swerved and lost control of her car which smashed into a bus stop.
A witness who heard an “almighty bang” outside her house said she saw a “hysterical” Hobson screaming “I told him to get out of the way”.
Another witness who approached Hobson claimed she asked “am I going to be in trouble?”
A motorist who stopped to comfort Hobson claimed she said the victim “jumped out of the bus stop”.
Hobson was taken to hospital for a blood sample which later revealed she had methylamphetamine and an antidepressant in her blood stream.
Investigators determined the road was dry and conditions were not foggy at the time of the collision.
Mr Paea — known by friends and family as “The Big C” — was also wearing a hi-vis vest when he was struck.
A detective searched Hobson’s car and found an ice pipe hidden in a pencil case.
Hobson — who was interviewed more than a month later — admitted using “meth and speed in the past” but denied using ice prior to driving.
Hobson told police she couldn’t remember the last time she used ice because “everything’s a blur” in the days leading up to the collision.
She said it was possible she used ice a “day or two” before the collision.
Hobson said the bus stop was not lit up as it usually was.
“I literally went around the corner and slowly like you do as it was a service lane and I’m not an idiot when I drive,” Hobson said.
“All I remember from then is just like just high seeing hi-vis and going ‘just move’ like and three seconds later it was just not even like it was just so quick like out of nowhere like I just couldn’t stop it fast enough.”
Despite Hobson having meth in her system it was the prosecution case that she was driving dangerously because she was “not keeping a proper lookout for other road users”.
Several members of Mr Paea’s family including his son, brother and sister had their victim impact statements read out to the court.
Mr Paea’s eldest son said his “heart immediately sunk” when he heard the news.
While Mr Paea’s sister said her brother was always the “life of the party”.
“The last time I saw my brother he was in a casket,” she said.
It was submitted Hobson turned to drugs and alcohol after being in abusive relationships.
Hobson also has an “overwhelming anxiety disorder” and was diagnosed with a debilitating eye-condition which left her legally blind and unable to drive again.
Judge Mark Dean said Hobson had strong prospects of rehabilitation.
“You are (a) intelligent and resilient young woman,” Judge Dean said.
Hobson was also ordered to be under judicial monitoring while on her CCO and was disqualified from obtaining her driver’s license for three years.
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