A man has been sentenced to five years in prison for killing his wife by driving his car under the influence while they were having sex. The Palm Beach country judge described it as one of “the most senseless, tragic acts” she has come across.
The Palm Beach Post reports the incident happened three years ago in Florida. On March 8 of 2014, Matthew Notebaert and his wife Amanda were going out to a concert as part of their Valentine’s Day celebrations, and Matthew was driving on the way home.
It was their first night out after Amanda had given birth to their second child, and they had been drinking. They pulled over on the way home and started having sex.
He started driving home on Southern Boulevard and his wife was sitting in his lap. He told the court that the next memory he had was waking up in a crashed car next to her dead body.
A toxicology report showed that Matthew’s blood alcohol content was at almost twice the level at which drivers are considered impaired in Florida.
“I miss her more than words can express,” he said in court.
Laura’s father Mike Stacey told the court that Matthew should hold responsibility.
“You had a responsibility to get your wife home safely,” Stacey said.
Circuit Judge Laura Johnson found that under the circumstances, the 10-year-minimum recommended sentence was too harsh. She gave hime a five-year sentence, saying that he had ‘failed’ his wife and kids.
“This isn’t your first chance. You’ve been to jail before, you’ve been on probation,” she said.
“You failed your wife, you failed your children and you failed all your family that is here today.”
