A man has been spared a prison sentence after killing his daughter's boyfriend while spotlighting with six people on the back of a ute in country Victoria.
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Four of Kent Ballan's children and two of their partners were thrown off the ute tray as the 55-year-old drove after a fox at the Rainbow farm on January 5 last year.
Brendan Hutton, 31, died in the fall.
Ballan was handed a two-and-a-half-year community correction order in the County Court of Victoria on Thursday.
The father of five hadn't wanted to go spotlighting on his brother-in-law's farm, but the children were keen and he'd done it hundreds of times before.
Ballan later told police "it's probably unsafe". He went on to plead guilty to dangerous driving causing Mr Hutton's death as well as dangerous driving causing serious injury to one son's girlfriend.
He was spared jail because of the extraordinary hardship it would cause his family.
One of his children has cancer and Ballan is his primary carer. One has a painful and ongoing hip condition and another died from cancer in 2012.
Judge Michael Cahill said these were rare and exceptional circumstances.
Ballan is deeply remorseful over the crash. His victims' families forgave him and did not want to see him jailed.
More than 60 character references described him as a careful, responsible and devoted family man.
Ballan must perform 250 hours of unpaid community work and cannot drive for 18 months.
Australian Associated Press
