A central Queensland judge says the chain of events that left a man dead and his brother and cousin being sentenced to serve time behind bars should never have happened.
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of a person who has died.
William Noel Armstrong, 21, and Larcolm Allan James Keith Brown, also 21, were both on parole in April 2022 when their crime spree ended in a stolen car crash that injured Brown's 24-year-old brother Joshua so badly that he died days later.
Armstrong pleaded guilty to multiple charges in the District Court in Rockhampton, including dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, before being sentenced on Thursday to five years' jail.
Brown was sentenced to four years' jail for his involvement in crimes leading up to the fatal crash, including burglary and armed robbery.
During the pair's sentencing District Court Judge Jeffrey Clarke said "this event should simply not have occurred".
"This was a case of erratic, deliberate and dangerous driving on a main highway by a young inexperienced driver with an unrestrained passenger, and in a stolen car," Judge Clarke said.
'Live with the knowledge'
The court heard the offenders, who are cousins, went to the house of an acquaintance on April 23, 2022, armed with a crowbar and metal pole and demanded his wallet and bank card.
Judge Clarke said when the older man did not surrender his pin code, they punched him in the face and "smashed up his house" before leaving.
The following day Armstrong went to another house and stole a man's phone and car, which he drove erratically and at speed.
The court heard co-accused Brown was in the back of the stolen car and his brother Joshua was in the front passenger seat, not wearing a seat belt, when the car crashed near Ogmore, about 150 kilometres north of Rockhampton.
Judge Clarke said Armstrong "swerved across into the opposite lane and back" before he "lost control" of the vehicle.
"The car became launched, airborne, before coming to rest on the opposite lane of travel," Judge Clarke said.
Joshua Brown suffered extensive injuries and was flown to Rockhampton hospital for treatment before his life support was turned off several days later.
"Mr Armstrong, you have to live with the knowledge that your actions caused [this]," Judge Clarke said.
The court heard Armstrong had a criminal history and was on parole at the time of the crash, but he was also on bail after being arrested over a break-in 10 days earlier.
Both men were released on parole only a month before the 2022 crash and both have been in custody since.
Armstrong will be eligible for parole again in June and has been disqualified "absolutely" from getting a licence in the future.
Brown will be eligible for parole again in August.
