‘Manifestly inadequate’: Prosecutors appeal sentence for crash driver who killed five people

Prosecutors are appealing the length of a prison term for a man who killed five people in one of the state’s deadliest crashes in a decade, arguing the sentence was “manifestly inadequate”. Christopher Dillon Joannidis, 30, was on his way to a friend’s wedding on April 20, 2023, when he crashed his Mercedes-Benz into Debbie Markey’s Nissan Navara and a fully laden B-double milk tanker at Strathmerton in Victoria’s north about 2.20pm.

Markey, from nearby Cobram, was driving four international visitors on working visas – Pin-Yu Wang, Hsin-Yu Chen, Wai Yan Lam and Zih-Yao Chen – home from work at an abattoir. All five were killed. Markey’s dog, Sophie, also died at the scene.



In January, Joannidis was jailed in the County Court for 51⁄2 years, but he will be . A spokeswoman for the Office of Public Prosecutions confirmed on Tuesday the agency would appeal the sentence. “I confirm that the Director of Public Prosecutions is appealing the sentence handed down to Christopher Joannidis on the basis that it is manifestly inadequate,” she said.

Shortly before the crash, police intercepted Joannidis and issued him with a speeding ticket for driving at 118km/h in a 100km/h zone. The January court hearing was told that police also warned Joannidis of the region’s “horrific” road toll, before he continued on his drive towards the wedding. He had been due to be best man.

Joannidis pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving causing death, after failing to give way at the intersection of the Murray Valley Highway and Labuan Road. At the time of the crash, it was described as the deadliest motor vehicle incident in the state in more than a decade. The charge of dangerous driving causing death carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ jail for each count.

In sentencing in January, County Court judge Gavan Meredith said the victim impact statements from family members and friends of those who died were a tragic testimony as they spoke of their overwhelming sadness, emptiness and hopelessness. Meredith said Joannidis’ offending was “not merely an example of momentary inattention”, as he ignored multiple warning signs and rumble strips before reaching the intersection. In May 2023, this masthead revealed that police had about the stretch of road more than a year before the deadly crash.

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