Lance O'Brien was sentenced at the Melbourne County Court today. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )
In short:
A drug driver will serve more than five years in prison.
A family has lost a mother of four to a crash that has had life-altering consequences.
What's next?
Lance O'Brien will be eligible for parole in December 2031.
A drug-affected driver who killed a Nathalia mother of four in Northern Victoria last year will serve at least five years in prison.
Lance O'Brien, 31, pleaded guilty in September to culpable driving causing death and contravening bail conditions.
O'Brien was on bail at the time of the crash awaiting an appeal of a jail sentence for other offences including burglary and intentionally causing injury.
O'Brien's Toyota was heading north on the Barmah-Shepparton Road at Kaarimba at 4:40pm on October 2, 2025, when it veered into the lane that Vilia Sutherland was driving in.
Ms Sutherland died at the scene.
O'Brien appeared via video link from Loddon Precinct Prison where Judge Carolene Gwynn handed down her sentence.
He was sentenced to eight years and two months for the charge of culpable driving.
He has already served 26 days of that sentence and will be able to apply for parole in December 2031.
The court was told that at the time of the Kaarimba crash, O'Brien was on his way to report to police as part of his bail conditions.
Profound impact on the victim's family
Judge Gwynn addressed the victim impact statements made by members of Ms Sutherland's family.
She said the statement from her daughter Tammy Woods showed the enormous impact the loss of her mother had on her, which was both heartbreaking and life-altering.
Ms Woods was in Darwin when she learnt of her mother's death and had an agonising return to Victoria feeling helpless.
"On her return, the necessary drive to the coroner's office saw her exposed to remnants of her mother's car and her mother's glasses on the roadside," Judge Gwynn told the court.
"She feels that her life and that of other family members will never return to what they once were and that she will spend the rest of her life missing her mother."
Judge Gwynn also said the impact of Ms Sutherland's death would last longer than the sentence she imposed.
Troubled upbringing
Defence lawyer Aggy Kapitaniak submitted a letter to the court from O'Brien's brother Myles that said his life had spiralled out of control because of drug use.
O'Brien had a difficult upbringing, which included family violence and his mother was dependent on alcohol.
She had also introduced her teenage son to methamphetamine as early as 13 years old.
The court heard that Myles once found his mother and brother "hiding in a wardrobe … holding an ice pipe and smoking ice".
The court heard O'Brien's mother had regretted her actions and admitted her son did not have a fair start in life.
Lance O'Brien attended the court hearing via a link from Loddon Prison. (ABC News: Tyrone Dalton)
O'Brien had managed some employment as a fencing contractor and abstained from drugs for some time until two years ago.
He relapsed after the death of his nephew and his cousin's wife in a car accident.
His criminal history since 2014 included 13 court appearances for several offences including breaches of court orders, drug possession, violence and weapons possession.
Ms Kapitaniak said that O'Brien, a Yorta Yorta man, had shown remorse for his actions and that he had prospects of rehabilitation where he has been working as a peer listener with an Aboriginal welfare officer in prison.
Judge Gwynn also fined O'Brien $1,200 for committing an offence while on bail and disqualified him from driving for five years.
Family of Ms Sutherland observed proceedings via court video link while O'Brien's relatives attended court in person.