Grieving parents scream in court as 'disgusting' three-year jail sentence is handed to the driver who killed their son after crashing his truck while high on ice
- David Edward Goddard, 58, was sentenced to three and half years behind bars
- The South Australian truck driver pleaded guilty to killing Shane Zelenko, in 2017
- Goddard had been driving the pair back from a worksite while high on ice
- Mr Zelenko's mother Joanne Wynne called the sentence 'pathetic'
The grieving parents of a 22-year-old man who was killed by a drugged driver broke down in court after their son's killer was handed a three-year jail sentence.
David Edward Goddard, 58, killed Shane Zelenko when their truck slammed into a tree at Tanunda, in the Barossa Valley, in 2017.
In sentencing on Wednesday, District Court Judge Joanne Tracey said the pair were on their way back from a worksite, where Goddard had been observed smoking ice several times a day.
Goddard, who had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, was sentenced to three years and six months in jail with a non-parole period of two years, nine months.
Upon release, he will be disqualified from driving for another 12 years.
David Edward Goddard, 58, killed Shane Zelenko (pictured) when their truck slammed into a tree at Tanunda, in the Barossa Valley, in 2017
Mr Zelenko's mother, Joanne Wynne (pictured outside of court) yelled: 'my son is worth more than two years and nine months'
Friends and family of Mr Zelenko were seen in an emotional embrace outside of District Court
Immediately following the sentence, emotions boiled over as Mr Zelenko's mother, Joanne Wynne, yelled: 'my son is worth more than two years and nine months'.
Outside court, Ms Wynne slammed the sentence as 'disgusting' and said it was no deterrent to others.
'Disappointment is an understatement - that was pretty disgusting, it's putting a value on my son's life and it's pathetic', the distraught mum told The Advertiser.
'He did it, and nobody put a crack pipe in his mouth, yet he got everything he wanted … (the sentence) doesn't mean anything, and it's not going to stop anyone else'.
Ms Wynne said she did not believe Goddard regretted his actions, and claimed he was only sorry he got caught.
She said she had hoped Goddard would be jailed for at least six years.
Judge Tracey told the court Mr Zelenko was a 'much-loved person' and his death had taken a great toll on his family and friends, who were present in court for the sentencing.
District Court Judge Joanne Tracey said the pair were on their way back from a worksite, where Goddard had been observed smoking ice several times a day. The truck (pictured) later slammed into a tree
Ms Wynne slammed the sentence as 'disgusting' and said it was no deterrent to others
'He was only young, had a partner and was looking forward to fulfilling all the plans that he and his partner had made', she said.
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'Clearly, from what I have been told by his family and friends, there is profound grief and lives have been shattered by his tragic and unnecessary death'.
She said the rebound effects of methamphetamine combined with sleep deprivation proved deadly, and the truck's speed fluctuated as it drifted before the crash.
'You would have had great difficulty maintaining attention on the road, and this could have resulted in the reported manner of your driving prior to the collision as well as the nature of the collision', she told Goddard.
Goddard had previously claimed Mr Zelenko had been driving the truck, before ultimately admitting guilt, the court heard, according to The Advertiser.
He had also alleged he did not use drugs and didn't remember consuming the drug.
