Melissa Oates will spend eight months in jail after the Huonville road death of boyfriend Jari Wise
Melissa Oates, who fatally struck her boyfriend on a roadway as he walked home in the middle of the night, has finally learned her fate as his grieving mum labels her sentence “a kick in the face”. LATEST FROM COURT >>
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- Melissa Oates pleads guilty to dangerous driving after Jari Wise’s roadside death
- Huon Valley woman may stand trial for dangerous driving following the death of Jari Wise
JARI Wise died almost instantly when he was struck by his girlfriend’s car on a dark Huonville road.
It was after 1am and Mr Wise was standing in the roadway, dressed in dark clothing, when Melissa Oates ploughed through Wilmot Road at 110km/h.
The mother-of-four had a blood alcohol reading three times the legal limit and wasn’t wearing her glasses when she knocked Mr Wise down, only to speed away and leave his body on the road.
On Thursday, more than a year after the February 2020 tragedy that shook the Huonville community, Oates was sentenced to 14 months’ jail, with the final six months suspended.
With time already served, Oates is likely to be a free woman again as of November this year.
Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason said the couple had been drinking together at a friend’s house on the night of February 28 last year, with Mr Wise leaving to visit another friend.
The 26-year-old later called Oates to pick him up as he walked home along Wilmot Road, which Justice Geason said was dark and had low visibility.
The judge said Oates was “aware in a general sense that Mr Wise was somewhere in the area” – but that Oates had been a danger that night to any pedestrian.
But he also said the Crown didn’t claim she was legally responsible for Mr Wise’s death.
Justice Geason said witnesses heard a collision and the sound of Oates revving as she fled the scene.
Oates then returned to the address where she’d been drinking, telling a neighbour and a friend: “I think I’ve hit someone and I hope it’s not Jari”.
Police on the scene described Oates as highly intoxicated and crying out “why did he jump in front of me?”
Justice Geason said Mr Wise had jumped in front of Oates’ car previously, but there was no evidence he did so on this occasion.
However, he also said there was no evidence Oates saw him before she struck him.
Justice Geason said it could not be proven that Mr Wise’s death wouldn’t have occurred even if a “reasonable, prudent driver” had been behind the wheel that night.
Police body-worn camera footage later showed Oates saying “oh f … my baby’s dead, my man’s dead, why did he jump out in front of me?”
“You will live with this episode for the rest of your life,” Justice Geason said.
“The sentence I impose today is not to put a value on Mr Wise’s life.”
Mr Wise was the father of Oates’ fourth child.
Oates, 35, was also fined $2000 and suspended for driving from three years upon the date of her release from prison.
She had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving and failing to stop and assist in an accident.
Outside court, Mr Wise’s mother Faith Tkalac said she wanted to appeal the sentence.
“I just feel like it’s an absolute kick in the face,” she said.
“This is just not justice.”
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