The family of Corey Sullivan, a young father tragically killed in a hit-and-run incident in Maffra, Victoria, expressed their devastation in court following the sentencing of the driver, Tyrone Mobourne, to just two-and-a-half years in prison. Sullivan, a father of five, was struck while attempting to retrieve his stolen vehicle in 2023. Mobourne, who faced lesser charges of theft and failing to stop, could be released in four months due to time already served.
Sullivan’s sister, Vanessa Robinson, voiced her feelings of disappointment with the legal outcome, stating that the justice system had failed their family. The original charges of dangerous driving were dismissed, as the prosecution could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mobourne was driving dangerously at the time of the accident. A witness reported hearing the car accelerate before the crash, yet experts said it was travelling at approximately 38km/h at the moment of impact.
Mobourne, described as having a mild intellectual disability due to substance abuse issues, had been on bail during the incident and has a lengthy history of dishonesty charges. Sullivan’s father, Brett, lamented the government’s inaction on bail laws, emphasising that their family and his son deserved better from the justice system.