A Victorian man who unintentionally mowed down his former mistress's new partner, killing the man, has been jailed for more than six years.
Bradley Andrew McStay, 35, hit Luke Price with his ute at Yannathan, near Lang Lang in the state's east, in the early hours of February 11, 2020.
McStay previously had an affair with Mr Price's girlfriend but the woman broke off the relationship in the weeks before the fatal collision.
McStay was upset and jealous, the Supreme Court was told, and tried to repeatedly contact the woman although she rebuffed him.
On the evening of February 10, the woman and Mr Price tried to avoid McStay after he told her he would come over to see her.
The pair and two others left a property in eastern Victoria in a sedan, but McStay followed, chasing the group erratically at high speeds for about 12 kilometres.
The sedan eventually slowed to a stop at Heads Road, in Yannathan, and Mr Price began getting out of the vehicle from the right passenger side.
McStay also slowed his ute down as he came up alongside the sedan, but he clipped the vehicle and struck Mr Price, causing the 34-year-old to fall onto the ute's bonnet and then underneath the vehicle.
Mr Price was dragged under the car for about 58 metres before he fell under a tyre and was fatally injured.
McStay continued on for about 250 metres before he stopped his car. He made no effort to check on Mr Price's condition or call triple zero.
In sentencing remarks on Tuesday, Justice Michael Croucher said he accepted McStay did not intend to hit the sedan or Mr Price, but he should have stopped his ute once he realised the 34-year-old had been run over.
Justice Croucher said while Mr Price made the decision to exit the car, it was spurred on by McStay's choice to follow the sedan erratically.
The judge noted Mr Price's family and friends were still experiencing profound grief and anger over his death, and no sentence would reflect the value of Mr Price's life.
But Justice Croucher said he needed to take into account McStay's clear remorse, his "excellent" prospects of rehabilitation, and his irrelevant prior criminal history.
Justice Croucher also noted McStay had entered an early guilty plea to culpable driving causing death.
McStay was convicted and jailed for six years and six months, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.
His 311 days of pre-sentence detention were reckoned as already served.
If he did not plead guilty, McStay would have been jailed for eight years and six months with a non-parole period of five years and six months.
