Young driver fronts court for speeding and killing pregnant girlfriend

A young hoon has left a tragic trail of destruction in his wake after speeding in his father’s car before crashing into a tree, killing his pregnant girlfriend.

Darcy Hallford (second from left) has been jailed for nearly five years for dangerous driving causing the death of his pregnant girlfriend Amelia McAlister.

A young mechanic has been jailed for killing his pregnant girlfriend in a high-speed crash in his father’s car after leaving a family outing.

Darcy Hallford, 23, was doing an estimated 109km/h in a 70km/h zone at Park Orchards in Melbourne’s east when he crashed the car into a tree on Stintons Rd, killing his 21-year-old girlfriend Amelia McAlister who was about 12 weeks’ pregnant at the time.

Hallford was sentenced by the County Court on Thursday to four years and eight months in prison, with a minimum non parole of two years and 10 months.

His two brothers were seated in the rear seat of their dad’s Volkswagen Golf on the afternoon of January 22 last year.

Hallford pleaded guilty in January to charges of dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious injury.

Amelia McAlister, 21, was 11 to 13 weeks pregnant when she died in the crash caused by her boyfriend Darcy Hallford.

Judge Carolene Gwynn said prison was the only outcome, given the seriousness of the offence and Hallford’s high culpability.

Hallford held a P2 probation licence and didn’t have a full licence holder seated beside him when he crashed the Volkswagen Golf, which had a weight to power ratio in excess of Hallford’s authority to drive the car.

Family members were among the first to discover the crash site as they trailed the car after leaving a gathering at a nearby tavern. Among them was Hallford’s mother who was a cardiorespiratory nurse at Box Hill Hospital.

Hallford injured his shoulder and collar bone while his rear seat passenger and brother Cameron suffered injuries to his pelvis and left leg.

Amelia McAlister was killed when her boyfriend Darcy Hallford slammed the car they were travelling in into a tree at Park Orchards.

Police did not find evidence of drugs or alcohol that may have contributed to the crash.

In her victim impact statement, Amelia’s mother Fleur McAlister said she lost her daughter as a result of a person not following the road rules.

“I will never see my big girl again, never see my grandchild and see her grow up. There are days when I find myself crying in absolute despair,” she said

“My heart hurts. I am broken. I am easily startled, I get angry when I see speeding drivers on the road.”

Ms McAlister’s dad Brett said he would never see his grandchild and that losing a child was the most devastating thing he has had to go through.