Melissa Jade Anthony: South West woman jailed for 10 years over drunk, speeding crash that killed best friend

A South West woman who killed her best friend in a drunken, speeding car crash after picking him up from an earlier accident has been jailed for a decade. Melissa Jade Anthony spent hours drinking at Kirup Tavern with her then-boyfriend Vaughan Ashley Bornatici, Kyle Reece Vitali and Liam James Atherton on the evening of September 2, 2022. All aged 25, they initially planned to stay in the town overnight but had nowhere to sleep. So they headed to Anthony’s home in Ambergate, almost one hour’s drive away near Busselton, in two cars. After Mr Vitali’s vehicle left the road about 30km from the tavern and became bogged, he phoned Anthony around 1.30am, asking her and Mr Bornatici to pick up him and Mr Atherton. On the narrow and dark Kalgup Road, her blue Holden Commodore missed a slight bend and collided with a tree. Based on airbag control module data, it was calculated as having reached 185km/h. Prosecutor Alan Dungey told Anthony’s Supreme Court of WA sentencing on Friday that the impact “virtually ripped the passenger’s side of the vehicle off”. Mr Vitali, who was sitting behind Anthony on the driver’s side, died at the scene. The other two men suffered life-threatening injuries and were still unconscious when they were being taken to hospital. Anthony, now aged 27, escaped with minor injuries. About three hours after the crash, her blood alcohol level was 0.124 so would have been “at least” 0.174, Mr Dungey said. Defence barrister Tony Hager said his client accepted her “significant wrongdoing” and was remorseful. But she did not accept the level of drinking or speed asserted by the prosecution, which is why she fought her charges at trial — twice. The jury found her guilty of two counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm at the first trial but was unable to reach a verdict on one count of manslaughter. She was convicted of that charge at the second trial, earlier this month. Mr Hager said Anthony had made “a succession of poor choices” following afternoon drinks with Mr Bornatici and was an otherwise upstanding young woman. “What appears to be a joyous evening . . . ended in utter tragedy,” he said. Justice Bruno Fiannaca said Anthony was not fit to drive and a catastrophic outcome was “almost inevitable”. “The potential for a tragic outcome was obvious,” he said. “Your level of intoxication meant you did not have control of your vehicle. “You must have been aware that you were driving at a grossly negligent speed.” Justice Fiannaca said too many lives had been lost on regional roads this way, despite countless road safety campaigns. “There is simply no excuse for the conduct you engaged in,” he said. “This behaviour will not be tolerated simply because it occurs on a country road.” Anthony, who had a previous conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol, will be eligible for parole after serving eight years. She will be disqualified from driving for 10 years after release. Road Trauma Support 1300 004 814 WA Alcohol and Drug Support Line 1800 198 024