Jake McGee jailed for drug driving, crashing into tree and injuring passengers in St Kilda
A tradie who drove drunk and high while snorting ecstasy and left his teenage passengers with horror injuries – now he’s learnt his fate.
A drunk driver who left his teenage passenger with a brain injury after crashing into a tree has been told he’s not a bad person but made a serious mistake.
Jake McGee, 20, was jailed for more than three years in the District Court on Tuesday after he caused the “avoidable” tragedy while driving recklessly.
McGee was driving a Ford Explorer SUV when it left the road and hit a tree on St Kilda Rd about 5.30pm on December 28 last year.
During sentencing, the court heard he had been drinking with Tracey Knuckey, 20, Ethan-Jay Harley Wilton, 19, Phoenix Jason Calyun, 23 and Hollie Mai Wilton, 18, before they went for a drive.
The court heard McGee drank vodka cruisers, smoked cannabis and snorted a line of MDMA while driving the group to various places, including the St Kilda hotel.
“Just before you left the hotel carpark you vomited and by this time people in the car with you had commented about your driving,” Judge Lisa Dunlop said.
“You were speeding, you were taking corners quickly, you were overtaking people for no reason, you were challenging people to race at the lights.
“They told you to stop driving like an idiot but you stayed behind the wheel.”
After the horror crash Ms Wilton was left unconscious and had to be cut out of the car.
“She had emergency surgery to remove the front part of her skull … she was put into a deep coma,” a prosecutor previously said.
The court heard Ms Wilton spent months in the brain injury rehabilitation unit for her serious brain injury, and lost vision in her right eye.
Mr Wilton and Mr Calyun suffered minor injuries, while Ms Knuckey suffered fractures to vertebrae and was in hospital for two days.
McGee, of Elizabeth Vale, pleaded guilty to aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving and a further three counts of aggravated cause harm by dangerous driving and one count of driving while disqualified, which followed a previous drug driving disqualification.
The court previously heard his estimated blood-alcohol concentration at the time of the crash was 0.169, as well as having MDMA and cannabis in his system.
“I’m sure that you would give anything to turn back the clock and to make different choices on that day,” Judge Dunlop said.
“I’m sure that you will regret those choices on that day for the rest of your life.”
McGee, a concreter, was jailed for three years and nine jail, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.
“Mr McGee, you’re not a bad person, you made a serious mistake that morning and that day,” Judge Dunlop said.
“Your decision to drive has had tragic consequences, it was an avoidable tragedy.”
McGee was also disqualified from driving for 12 years.
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Originally published as Jake McGee jailed for drug driving, crashing into tree and injuring passengers in St Kilda
