Killer driver Connor Mathiasson to challenge sentence for crash that killed Melbourne model Elise Hodder
Connor Mathiasson will launch an appeal against his 11-year jail sentence for killing model Elise Hodder in a horrific drug and alcohol-fuelled crash after a rave.
The driver responsible for the death of Melbourne model Elise Hodder after a late-night rave in Kooyong has initiated proceedings to appeal his sentence, the Herald Sun can reveal.
Connor Mathiasson, 24, was sentenced in the County Court last month to 11 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven years.
He had admitted to killing Ms Hodder when he struck her with his car while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
The sentence means Mathiasson would be eligible for parole in 2032, at the age of 31.
However, he has deemed the sentence too severe and is seeking to challenge it.
“Connor Mathiasson has lodged an application for leave to appeal against the sentence,” the Supreme Court confirmed on Thursday.
Outside court following the sentencing, Ms Hodder’s father, Michael, expressed his family’s profound grief, stating they’re sentence was “for life.”
“Our Elise was one of the most beautiful, loving people that you could ever imagine – the type of person that we need in our society at the moment,” he said.
“And she has no life, no future … and family and friends have a life sentence and this continues because of poor policy, poor legislation, in this state.”
“This was another male in charge of a motor vehicle, which is effectively a weapon, that has killed another female in this state.
“This is over-represented and our daughter died a horrific death in the most evil of circumstances by a person that should not have been driving and had plenty of opportunities to not drive.”
Mathiasson admitted to being unlicensed, drunk, and on drugs when he got behind the wheel of his golden Holden Commodore in the car park of the Malvern City Football Club after a rave on 13 October last year.
He pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury, leading to his conviction and sentence.
CCTV footage captured Mathiasson reversing and colliding with Ms Hodder and her friends, who had arrived at the rave only minutes earlier.
Instead of braking, he then accelerated, dragging Ms Hodder along as she was stuck in the under carriage of his car.
A breath test revealed Mathiasson had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.213, more than four times the legal limit.
A subsequent blood sample detected the presence of cocaine and cannabis.
No hearing date has yet been listed for Mathiasson’s appeal.
