Mother reads a gut-wrenching statement in court after her daughter was killed by her friend just days before she was due to give birth
- A heartbroken mother has read out a moving impact statement in court
- Her pregnant daughter died after her drugged-up friend crashed their car
- Kyra Maynard, 24, was driving high on ice, when Katie Gleeson-Marlow, 20, died
A heartbroken mother read out a gutwrenching victim impact statement in court as the drugged-up driver responsible for her daughter's death awaits sentencing over manslaughter charges.
Kyra Maynard, 24, was high on ice, unlicensed and hooning through the streets of Inverell in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales last year in March, when she lost control of her Holden Commodore.
The vehicle collided with a Mazada Bravo and then careened off the road into a power pole, leaving her eight-months pregnant passenger Katie Gleeson-Marlow, 20, with life-ending injuries.
The mother of Katie Gleeson-Marlow, 20 (pictured), read out a gutwrenching victim impact statement in court, as the drugged up driver awaits sentencing over manslaughter charges
Paramedics tried desperately to save Ms Gleeson-Marlow while she was still inside the wreckage of the car, but the mother-to-be - who planned to name her baby boy Xavier - died before she could be airlifted to hospital, the Daily Telegraph reported.
'Losing my child and my grandson Xavier … a big part of me died along with them. She was not just my daughter but my best friend as well,' Ms Gleeson-Marlow's distraught mother Dianne told the Armidale District Court on Wednesday.
'She opened up her heart to all and gave everyone a chance, she overcame so much in her life, she was always making me smile.'
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Maynard has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges and will be sentenced on Friday.
She appeared in court via video link expressing her remorse over the situation before breaking down in tears.
'I don't want anything like this to happen again … I don't want to be the person who I was. I know I was wrong to drive not licenced and under the influence of drugs, I meant no harm,' Maynard said.
Kyra Maynard, 24 (pictured), was high on ice, unlicensed and hooning through the streets of Inverell last year in March, when she lost control of her Holden Commodore causing the death of her friend Katie Gleeson-Marlow
Although the defendant said she takes 'full responsibility' for her 'stupid actions' and is trying to get clean by entering into a drug rehabilitation program, the court also heard Maynard has been caught with illegal substances while on remand.
She admitted to possessing the opioid drug Buprenorphine while in custody but now plans to life a drug-free life and never drive again.
The case comes as legislation that would see harsher penalties for crimes that cause the death of an unborn child remains in its draft stages.
Maynard is being sentenced over the death Ms Gleeson-Marlow but the charges do not apply to Xavier.
The 19-year-old man who was behind the wheel of the Mazda and his female passenger did not suffer any serious injuries.
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