‘The most evil’: drunk driver jailed for model’s death
Emily Woods |
A drunk driver will spend at least the next seven years behind bars for killing a young model.
But Elise Hodder’s heartbroken parents say they have been given a life sentence.
“Our Elise was one of the most beautiful, loving people that you can imagine,” her father Michael Hodder said outside court on Monday after Connor Mathiasson was jailed.
“She has no life, she’s got no future … we, her family and friends, have got a life sentence. And this continues because of poor policy, poor legislation for the state.”
The 24-year-old was arriving at a rave to celebrate her friend Emma Swords’ birthday when they were struck in a car park.
Mathiasson was unlicensed and had been drink-driving and speeding on his way to the Kooyong rave on October 12, 2024, sharing a 10-pack of Jack Daniels and coke with a friend.
He was between three and four times the legal blood alcohol limit with drugs in his system when he got back behind the wheel to leave about 1am the next morning.
Mathiasson drove into Ms Hodder and her group of friends, including Ms Swords.
The 24-year-old was dragged under the car as Mathiasson drove forward, trapping her beneath the vehicle – where she died.
Ms Swords suffered serious injuries, including two broken ankles, and had to learn to walk again while grieving her friend’s death.
Mathiasson, 24, was sentenced in the County Court to up to 11 years behind bars on Monday after pleading guilty to culpable driving causing death and negligently causing serious injury.
He must serve a minimum of seven years before he can apply for release on parole.
Judge Robyn Harper and Ms Hodder’s father both noted how young male drivers were over-represented in culpable driving cases before the courts.
Male offenders represented nearly 90 per cent of all cases of culpable driving causing death between July 2018 and June 2023, figures from the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council show.
Mr Hodder said the over-representation must be met with “a lot of deterrence”.
“This was another male in charge of a motor vehicle, which is effectively a weapon, that has killed another female in this state,” he said outside court.
“Our daughter died a horrific death in the most evil of circumstances by a person that should not have been driving and had plenty of opportunities to not drive.”
Judge Harper told Mathiasson the incident was catastrophic and “entirely of your own doing”.
She labelled him as a “collision waiting to happen”, noting he was drink driving before and during the collision and was caught speeding earlier in the evening.
“All of these factors demonstrate your contempt for the safety of other road users on the night in question,” the judge said.
“Ms Hodder has lost her life, Ms Swords’ future has been irrevocably damaged – all because you chose to drive negligently while significantly affected by alcohol.”
Mathiasson had caused “immeasurable” grief to the families of his victims, the judge added.
“No one should have to bury their child in such cruel and evil circumstances,” she said.
Ms Hodder’s mother Pauline sobbed from the front row of the court as circumstances of the deadly crash were read out.
Mathiasson, who has served 18 days of his prison term, will also have his licence disqualified for nine years.
AAP
