Eric Victorsen claims sentence over fatal crash was ‘excessive’
A driver who ran a red light at “breakneck speed” in a stolen car, claiming the lives of a newlywed couple, has had his appeal bid thrown out after claiming his 13-year sentence was “manifestly excessive”.
Police & Courts
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A deadbeat driver jailed for killing a newlywed couple when he ran a red light in a stolen car at “breakneck speed” has had his appeal bid thrown out.
Eric Victorsen, 21, tried to claim that his 13-year sentence over the deaths of Matt Goland and Bita Zaeim was “manifestly excessive”.
But Court of Appeal judge Phillip Priest on Thursday ruled otherwise.
Justice Priest said the punishment imposed for taking the lives of two “entirely innocent” victims was “within the bounds of sound sentencing”.
“Two lives were lost as a result of the applicant’s outrageous driving,” Justice Priest said.
“Two families were left to endure the agony of that loss.”
Victorsen had been hooning around Melbourne’s streets in the stolen $170,000 Lexus 4WD with his 15-year-old girlfriend when he smashed into the couple’s Holden Commodore at 114km/h at the Stud and Boronia roads junction in Wantirna South about 1am on April 21, 2018.
Mr Goland 38, was killed instantly.
His wife of only 12 months, Ms Zaeim, 32, was pulled from the wreckage, but died on her way to hospital.
Victorsen and his passenger were not injured and fled the scene.
He was jailed for 13 years with a non-parole period of eight years after pleading guilty to two counts of culpable driving causing death and failing to render assistance after an accident.
He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years.
But in an application for leave to appeal earlier this month, he claimed the sentence was manifestly excessive, and that the sentencing judge misapplied the standard sentence provisions and paid insufficient regard to the principle of totality.
The court heard Victorsen had a “blighted” childhood that included neglect, lack of food, family violence, drug use and periods of homelessness.
Aged 11, he dropped out of school and began drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis.
Justice Priest acknowledged his youth, guilty pleas and deprived background, but said Victorsen had an “appalling” criminal history.
This, and the fact he was suspended from driving at the time of the crash, increased his moral culpability.
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