A man who killed his girlfriend and baby son in a vehicle crash last year has been given a suspended jail sentence.
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Andrew John Sheals, 20, was handed a three-month wholly suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of causing the deaths of another person by negligent driving.
On Monday Sheals appeared for sentencing before Magistrate Tamara Jago in Burnie.
He was given a good behavior period of two years.
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“[Miss Bests’ family’s] loss is enormous,” Magistrate Jago said.
“No sentence will return the lives that have been lost.”
In June 2016, Sheals was 19-years-old when he drove into the path of a semi-trailer on the Bass Highway at the Deep Creek Road intersection.
In May 2017 he pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of his two-month-old son, Johnray Best-Sheals, and his partner, 16-year-old Hayley Best, by negligent driving.
Sheals, Miss Best and their son Johnray were taken to hospital following the incident, but Miss Best and Johnray did not survive.
Miss Best’s mother Rachel Connell addressed the media outside court on Monday.
”I might not be happy with [the sentence] - I might think it's not enough, I might think it's too much, but we've all got a life sentence with the loss of Hayley and Johnray, even Andrew,” Ms Connell said.
“She’ll never be forgotten, or Johnray, and I still talk about her as though she’s still here and I’ll continue to do that because even at 16 what’s she’s done and been is something you can’t explain to other people unless they had met her and been touched by her.”
Magistrate Jago also sentenced Sheals for charges including one count each of disobeying a give way sign, being a learner driver unaccompanied by a licensed driver, failing to display L plates so as to be clearly visible, and one count of using a vehicle in contravention of vehicle standards, requirements for safe and roadworthy condition.
Sheals must pay a fine of $450 relating to the four charges.
He has been disqualified from obtaining a drivers license for 15 months.
“I personally probably may not think there is any remorse as such but [Sheals] must be feeling something because you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel something,” Ms Connell said.