Teen jailed for dangerous driving that killed Cooper Ratten

A VICTORIAN learner driver whose alcohol, drug and speed-fuelled driving caused the death of a young teen will spend a maximum of five years in jail.

Cooper Ratten was killed in a car crash.

A VICTORIAN learner driver whose alcohol, drug and speed-fuelled driving caused the death of a young teen has been sentenced to a maximum of five years jail.

The 18-year-old — who was 17-year-old the time of the smash in Yarra Glen, northeast of Melbourne, in August 2015 — had a blood alcohol reading of 0.084 and ecstasy in his system when he lost control of the speeding car, ejecting 16-year-old Cooper Ratten, son of Hawthorn assistant coach Brett Ratten, from the back seat.

The teenager, who cannot be identified, was handed a five-year jail sentence on Friday and must serve at least three before he is eligible for parole.

The judge said the Adult Parole Board should immediately consider transferring the teen to a Youth Justice Centre.

Brett Ratten said he would have died if it meant his son didn’t have to. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media)

Cooper’s father said at his son’s funeral “If only they had asked me if I would take your place, I would have done so willingly.”

Cooper’s girlfriend, Jasmine Williams, says she is haunted by thoughts of the crash that claimed her boyfriend’s life.

“You did not just take Cooper away from me, you took our whole future,” she told the driver, through tears, in court on Monday.

“I hate that you took the time I was meant to have with him.”

Collision experts believe the headlights were off and the car was travelling about 126km/h at the time the car crashed amid “extremely foggy” conditions.