Elizabeth Quill: Jayden Pearce’s killer jailed for drug-driving

A recidivist drug-driver who killed a Launceston teen on Christmas Day via her negligence behind the wheel will remain behind bars after continuing to put lives at risk on roads.

A recidivist drug-driver who drifted onto the wrong side of the road on Christmas Day in 2018, killing the teenage passenger of an oncoming vehicle, has been jailed for offences including further drug-driving and driving while disqualified by a court order.

Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday heard 37-year-old Lalla woman Elizabeth Anne Quill’s further offending, which also included possessing drug utensils and small quantities of dangerous drugs, were committed while subject to two suspended sentences, including the three-month order imposed for her killing of Launceston 18-year-old Jayden John Pearce.

Mr Pearce was the passenger in a car being driven by lifelong friend Jackson Spratt as they travelled along Pipers River Rd at Lower Turners Marsh.

The court found Quill had failed to keep a proper lookout, with the other car visible from a reasonably significant distance away, and was driving on the wrong side of the road prior to the crash.

Elizabeth Anne Quill leaving Launceston Magistrates Court in mid-2021 after being convicted of negligent driving causing the death of Jayden John Pearce. Picture: Rosemary Murphy

Magistrate Simon Brown told the court on Tuesday Quill had led a relatively blamefree existence, but that had not been the case since she became hooked on dangerous drugs including methamphetamine.

He said the current charge of drug-driving was her fourth conviction for the offence.

He further noted that in addition to the two suspended sentences which had been breached, Quill was also subject to a community corrections order, but that she had been “unmotivated to address” her drug habits.

She did not attend a single drug counselling session under the CCO, Magistrate Brown told the court.

“There’s limited evidence before me which supports her rehabilitation,” he said.

Magistrate Brown noted Quill had been remanded in pre-sentence custody since September 17 last year, a total of about 16 weeks.

He said this period represented her first significant stretch in custody and hoped it represented a wake-up call for her.

Breaking News Breaking News Elizabeth Anne Quill's victim Jayden John Pearce, 18. Picture: Facebook

It was argued by the defence that Quill ought to receive a sentence more lenient than might otherwise have been, due to the “extra-curial” punishment she suffered as a result of the media coverage of Mr Pearce’s death and her subsequent progress through the justice system.

Magistrate Brown sentenced Quill to four months’ imprisonment, cumulative on the three-month suspended sentence imposed for negligent driving causing the death of Mr Pearce, which was activated.

He backdated the activation of the suspended sentence to the date of her remand, September 17, so as not to impose a crushing sentence.