'Maniac' driver jailed after killing girl in horror crash near Geelong

'Maniac' driver Jordan Kenyon jailed for killing Mia Rossiter, 12, in car crash Wed 29 Jul 2026 at 3:29pm In short: A driver who was high on drugs when he crashed into a family car and killed a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for 16 years. A County Court judge described Jordan Kenyon as a "maniac" with a "deplorable" driving record as he sentenced him over the fatal smash on the outskirts of Geelong two years ago. What's next? Kenyon must serve at leat 12 years of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. A driver who killed a 12-year-old girl while high on drugs has been jailed for 16 years, with a Victorian judge describing him as a "maniac". Jordan Kenyon, 31, had taken GHB and crossed onto the wrong side of the road when he lost control of his car and crashed into a family of four on the Hamilton Highway at Stonehaven, near Geelong. Mia Rossiter was killed and her younger sister, father Paul and mother Danica were injured. Kenyon's younger brother, a passenger in his car, was also badly hurt. "It was really just a matter of time until you killed someone on the road," County Court Judge Michael Tinney said on Wednesday. "It could have been anyone who was unfortunate enough to have crossed your path on that day." In the hour before the crash Kenyon was seen performing burnouts and had been detected travelling at more than 150km/h. Kenyon was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet because he was on parole after spending time in jail for a previous dangerous driving offence. Judge Tinney said authorities suspected Kenyon had repeatedly breached his parole conditions on numerous occasions and, on the day before the crash, a recommendation was made to have him brought before the parole board. "Of course, the events of the third of January then intervened," Judge Tinney said. "I'm not conducting a review of the Adult Parole Board. "Whether they should have reclaimed you on a breach, whether they might have some civil liability for not doing so, is really not for me to determine." Loading...In December 2023, Kenyon filmed himself steering a car with his knees while holding his phone in one hand and a can of Jack Daniels in the other. The shocking footage, played to the court last week, showed Kenyon swerving onto the wrong side of the road and declaring, "I am the best f***ing designated drunk driver in the world". At one point in the clip Kenyon tilted his head back and sculled his drink. Judge Tinney likened it to "a cartoon Popeye pouring in a tin of spinach". "You were a maniac on the 14th of December," he said. Weeks later Mia's life was taken "wastefully", "unnecessarily" and "shockingly", the judge said. Judge Tinney told the court Mia's family wanted her to be remembered as a kind, bright, honest and loyal girl. Mia, who had dreams of being a vet, loved Japanese anime and wanted to travel the world. "Mia's life has been tragically cut short, so needlessly, and at such a young age," Judge Tinney said. In the aftermath, Kenyon lied to police and falsely claimed he was not the driver, blaming the crash on a non-existent person named "Brad". Kenyon pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death, negligently causing serious injury and conduct endangering life. The judge questioned whether Kenyon's stated remorse was genuine, given he previously planned to fight the charges and deny that he had taken drugs. Kenyon's lengthy criminal record includes car theft, driving and weapons offences and breaches of community corrections orders. "Your driving history is simply deplorable. You have, time and time again, exposed others to danger by driving," Judge Tinney said. "You are a complete menace on the road. "You ignore court orders putting you off the road, disqualifying you. You ignore prison. You ignore community corrections orders. You just won't stop." The killer driver's 16-year sentence includes a non-parole period of 12 years. With time served, the earliest he could be released is 2038.