Ashley McDonald fronts court over the death of two motorists

Driving with meth in his system, an otherwise decent Wangaratta family man veered nearly 2m onto the wrong side and caused the death of two much-loved motorcyclists.

Barry John Holland was one of two motorcycle enthusiasts who died after Ashley McDonald slammed into them.

A drugged-up motorist whose driving was significantly impacted by meth has been jailed after his erratic driving caused the deaths of two much-loved Wangaratta motorcyclists.

Ashley McDonald, 38, fronted the County Court at Wangaratta on Wednesday for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to two charges of dangerous driving causing the deaths of Barry Holland and Ross Stewart.

He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and must serve two years before being eligible for parole.

Judge Peter Lauritsen said McDonald was driving his Hilux utility west towards Benalla along the Goorambat-Thoona Rd about 12.20pm on December 14, 2021.

He came to a sweeping left hand corner from where oncoming traffic was partly obscured by trees. McDonald’s utility went 1.9m over the centre line while he negotiated a blind corner and struck the motorcycles of Mr Holland and Mr Stewart travelling in the opposite direction.

Whangaratta man Barry John Holland was one of two motorcycle enthusiasts who died as a result of Ashley McDonald's actions.

Mr Stewart died at the scene while Mr Holland succumbed to his injuries in hospital three weeks later.

After the crash, Judge Lauritsen said McDonald stopped and called 000. McDonald told a police officer at the scene ‘I just came around the corner and I don’t know what it was, the bike was in front of me and ‘bang’. I don’t even know mate, really’.

No alcohol was tested in his breath but a preliminary oral fluid test indicated the presence of methylamphetamine. McDonald was taken to the Benalla Hospital and a blood sample returned a reading of 0.15 milligrams of methylamphetamine per litre and 0.40 milligrams of amphetamine per litre.

Judge Lauritsen said a forensic physician considered the level of methylamphetamine was “biologically significant” and affected McDonald’s driving skills.

McDonald said he was not addicted to methylamphetamine but used it at the time of the crash due to the unusual employment situation he found himself in due to the Covid pandemic.

Ashley McDonald had methylamphetamine in his system which affected his driving at the time of the crash.

In her victim impact statement, Mr Holland’s wife Shirley Holland described him as a husband, best friend, confidante and love of her life.

She said his death had changed her life forever as each day felt like an uphill battle filled with grief, loneliness, memories of their lives together and the ending of their future plans.

She takes antidepressant medication without which she said her life was not worth living without her husband.

His younger brother Graham Holland said with Covid restrictions, he never saw his sibling in person before he died.

Judge Lauritsen said as someone who was familiar with the road the crash happened on, the blind corner should have warned McDonald to take care.

He said McDonald should not have been driving at all, given the prescribed methylamphetamine level for drivers was zero.

Judge Lauritsen said McDonald was otherwise a decent family man, with no previous convictions and was genuinely remorseful for his actions.