Jail term looms

By Kath Gannaway
A COLDSTREAM P-plater faces prison after pleading guilty last week to dangerous driving causing the death of his friend, Jake McKaskill in Healesville in 2009.
Daniel Clarke appeared before Judge Howard Mason in the Melbourne County Court on Tuesday, 5 April.
Clarke was 19 when he crashed a 4WD Range Rover in High Street, Healesville on 16 December, 2009, after failing to take a bend, hitting a gutter and rolling the vehicle up to four times.
The court heard Jake, one of four passengers in the vehicle, was thrown out and suffered extensive head injuries.
His family gave permission for life support to be turned off the next day.
Jake’s mother Deborah McKaskill was in the court to hear that Clarke had an estimated blood-alcohol reading of 0.061 per cent and had sped through a number of stop signs.
She told Judge Mason she hoped the words she had steeled herself to deliver in her impact statement would have some bearing on the outcome when Clarke is sentenced next week.
She said her grief felt overwhelming and all-consuming as she tried to continue to be a mother and carer for Jake’s three brothers and sister.
“No words are ever going to show the true impact the death of my son Jake has had upon myself and my family,” Ms McKaskill said.
“My heart aches constantly,” she said telling of the day to day struggle to keep her devastated family strong and together.
Ms McKaskill said while she knew that nothing would bring Jake back, she found it hard to contain how much she despised Clarke.
“I feel an overwhelming need to see him punished for all the grief he has caused to myself, my family and to my son’s friends,” she said.
The prosecution is calling for a minimum sentence of two to three years in an adult prison or three years in youth detention.
The defence however said Clarke was remorseful and should not go to an adult prison.
Judge Mason asked for a youth justice assessment and will sentence Clarke on Monday, 18 April.