Ross Blackmore: Speeding driver who killed Napoleons mum jailed

Ross Blackmore, 45, appeared at the County Court in Ballarat after pleading guilty to one charge of culpable driving, after a fatal crash on October 4, 2020 on the Colac-Ballarat Road.

Blackmore collided with a Holden ute stalled across both lanes on the road.

He was found to be travelling about 132km/h in the seconds before impact, well in excess of the road's 60km/h speed limit.

Ms Pope, the mother of the learner driver driving the car, died from head injuries at the scene.

Testing found methamphetamine and cannabis in Blackmore's system during the crash.

Blackmore was given a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence with a non-parole period of five years.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Paul Lacava categorised Blackmore's culpable driving in the "mid-range" of offending.

"The speed you were driving your vehicle was obviously dangerously high," Judge Lacava said.

"Because of the speed you were driving your vehicle you had no time to react in a way that would have avoided the collision in a safe way."

Judge Lacava said a combination of extreme speed and the presence of drugs in Blackmore's system gave him a high level of moral culpability over the crash.

He also rejected claims by Blackmore's defence counsel Jon Irwin that the methamphetamine in Blackmore's system was as a result of smoking cannabis unknowingly mixed with methamphetamine.

Judge Lacava took into account the ute, which carried the learner driver and Ms Pope, was stalled across double lines - where a U-turn would be illegal - and that the victim was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of impact.

Blackmore was also given a sentencing consideration due to his early guilty plea.

Judge Lacava also spoke on the impact the victim's death had on her family and the wider Napoleons community.

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Three victim impact statements from Ms Pope's husband, son and daughter were read at an earlier hearing before the court.

"What comes through from all of these statements was that the life of a decent woman, with a loving family, admired by all who knew her, was lost," Judge Lacava said.

"Each of the victims have suffered a profound sense of loss at your hands."

In the wake of Ms Pope's death, Federation University opened an early childhood education scholarship in her name.

The court heard following the crash Blackmore had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, with features of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The diagnosis was filed in a psychological report given to the court, which told of how Blackmore often "relives" the crash.

Judge Lacava said a combination of these factors proved Blackmore had genuine remorse over the crash.

Blackmore was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment with a non-parole period of five years - he has already served 359 days.

Had Blackmore not pleaded guilty and was found guilty in a trial, he would have received a term of nine-and-a-half years imprisonment with seven years non-parole.

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