Epileptic driver who killed a mother and her son in horror crash after failing to take her medication is jailed - as it's revealed she lied about her condition on licence application FOUR TIMES
- Woman who killed a mother and her young son in horror crash has been jailed
- Athena Vibert's car veered over a median strip and smashed into oncoming car
- Court heard that Vibert has suffered from epilepsy since she was a child
- She had lied four times on her driving licence application about her condition
A woman who killed a mother and her young son when she crossed into oncoming traffic after failing to take her epileptic medication is behind bars.
Athena Vibert, 52, wept as she was sentenced to three-and-half years in jail with a non-parole period of 18 months in the NSW District Court on Friday.
Julie Bullock, 49, was driving her seven-year-old twins Hudson and Sienna to school in March 2017 when Vibert crossed over a median strip and smashed her car on the Hume Highway southwest of Sydney.
Julie and Hudson died in the horror smash while Sienna was left fighting for life with critical injuries.
Julie Bullock, 49, was driving her seven-year-old twins Hudson and Sienna to school in March 2017 when a car crossed over a median strip and smashed her car on the Hume Highway southwest of Sydney (pictured: Julie Bullock with Hudson)
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Ms Bullock's grieving husband expressed his disappointment in the sentence,'
'Eighteen months for killing two people and hurting Sienna the way she was hurt seems a bit light on. It was an avoidable accident,' Darren Bullock said outside court.
While he'd let go of his anger, Mr Bullock didn't accept Vibert's apology.
'It didn't really show much remorse at all ... it was scripted,' he said.
Ms Bullock's (pictured far left) grieving husband (pictured centre, next to Hudson and Sienna) expressed his disappointment in the sentence
Julie and Hudson (pictured left) died in the horror smash while Sienna (pictured right) was left fighting for life with critical injuries
'She's still breathing. Julie and Hudson aren't. Physically (Sienna) is OK but she misses her mum and her brother greatly.
'To me, it's a bit like she was literally drink driving.'
Judge Antony Townsden accepted Vibert was suffering from a 'complex partial seizure' at the time.
Vibert previously pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
The father said Sienna (pictured right) is physically OK, but she misses her mum and her brother (pictured left) greatly
Athena Vibert, 52, who caused the car accident that killed Julie Bullock (pictured) and her son Hudson, wept as she was sentenced to three-and-half years in jail with a non-parole period of 18 months in the NSW District Court on Friday
She had, on four occasions, lied about her epilepsy while applying to renew her license, ticking 'no' next to a question asking if she suffered from the condition.
She had her first epileptic seizure when she was five years old.
Vibert had not taken her anti-convulsant medication on the day of the accident because she was due to have a blood test.
Judge Townsden noted Vibert had not been warned of the risks associated with driving and at least one doctor said it would have been 'reasonable' for her to hold a license even if she had been honest about her epilepsy.
Judge Antony Townsden accepted Vibert was suffering from a 'complex partial seizure' at the time, causing her to crash into an oncoming car (pictured)
However, the judge said 'it was certainly completely wrong of Ms Vibert to deny she had epilepsy'.
The court heard fragments of a letter Vibert had written to the Bullock family.
'I wish I had died instead of them,' she wrote.
'Not a second of my life goes by when I don't think of you and your family ... I died that day.'
As a weeping Vibert was led away after being sentenced, she turned to her family in court, blew them a kiss and said: 'I love you. Look after each other.'
The court heard fragments of a letter Vibert (pictured centre) had written to the Bullock family. 'I wish I had died instead of them,' she wrote. 'Not a second of my life goes by when I don't think of you and your family ... I died that day'
