The cousin of a man who died when his car was hit by a speeding and drug-affected driver in Sydney has pleaded with the killer to use his jail time as a second chance to become a better person.
Raymond Lomas, 34, was driving a Toyota HiLux up to 108 km/h in a 60 zone when he slammed into a Hyundai Elantra at 4.40am at the intersection of Canal Road and Princes Highway in St Peters on May 25, 2017.
The car's passenger, 49-year-old Junior Saini, died at the scene and driver Alex Theodore, 62, died in hospital within the hour.
Lomas had been on bail for a charge of aggravated break, enter and steal in Centennial Park in March.
He ransacked a Lavender Bay home on the night of May 23 and stole the HiLux before a robbery in Mosman.
Police had repeatedly pursued the drug-affected driver but all chases were called off minutes before the crash.
The ute was seen to run the red light without braking and Lomas ran but was caught by a police dog and officer.
He had a cocktail of drugs in his system including amphetamine, morphine and a "potentially toxic" range of ice, making him very substantially impaired, Judge Dina Yehia said in Downing Centre District Court on Thursday.
She jailed Lomas for 17 years with a non-parole period of 12 years and six months for two charges of manslaughter and his numerous other serious offences.
"In matters such as this, judges are asked to perform an impossible equation," Judge Yehia said.
"No jail term can return a loved one and a life can never be measured simply by the punishment meted out to an offender."
She said Lomas' driving was an "appalling" example of "complete disregard" to the safety of other road users and his two victims "were just going about their normal business".
Outside court, Mr Theodore's cousin Margarita Vlachos said she hoped Lomas learned "something" behind bars.
"When he does eventually get out, which he will, he needs to get a job and do things the right way instead of breaking and entering and killing people," Ms Vlachos said.
"Be a better person. You cannot bring these two people back and all the others that you've hurt. Just stop."
Lomas' criminal record includes assaulting police, maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm and vehicle theft.
Harold Scruby, who found Lomas standing over his screaming wife in their Mosman bedroom about 3am on the morning of the crash, said "this could all have been prevented" if the killer driver had been kept in custody.
"Two people would be alive today and a lot of people who are very traumatised wouldn't be so," Mr Scruby said.
"Courts seem to only jail these people when someone is killed or seriously injured. We need a different system."
Lomas will be eligible for parole in November 2029.
Australian Associated Press
