Ex-AFL Star Shannon Cox’s Darkest Hour: Jailed for 10 Years Over Meth-Fueled Crash That Claimed Two Innocent Lives
- Shannon Cox, 39, will spend at least 8.5 years behind bars for the manslaughter of two elderly women, Thelma Clausen and Coral Seinor
- The former Collingwood player was driving under the influence of methamphetamine with his 12-year-old daughter in the car when he fell asleep at the wheel
- Cox’s addiction to methamphetamine was described as the root cause of the tragedy, which has left the victims’ families with ‘significant grief and trauma’
A former AFL star’s life has been left in tatters after he was sentenced to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment for a methamphetamine-fueled crash that claimed the lives of two innocent women.
Shannon John Cox, 39, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Thelma Clausen and Coral Seinor, who were on their way to a Country Women’s Association event when Cox’s Toyota Prado collided with their Suzuki Ignis on June 7 last year.
The Western Australia Supreme Court was told that Cox had 0.77 milligrams per litre of methamphetamine in his system and was suffering from fatigue when he fell asleep at the wheel, crossing into the path of oncoming traffic on the Brand Highway.
Cox’s 12-year-old daughter, Josephine, was also injured in the crash, which occurred while they were travelling from Geraldton to Perth to pick up Cox’s wife after she was released from custody.
The court heard that Cox’s addiction to methamphetamine began at the age of 13, and he had previously served two years and six months for drug-related offences.
Justice Stephen Lemonis described the impact of Cox’s offending as ‘devastating’, saying that his addiction to methamphetamine had ‘tragically’ led to the loss of two lives.
‘Your choice affected over 1,000 people, who were my mum and her friend’s family, loved ones and community,’ Suzanne Seinor said in her victim impact statement, addressing Cox directly.
‘You chose to drive a car with drugs in your system. That choice resulted in taking two lives that weren’t yours to take.’
Cox will be eligible for parole after serving eight years and six months of his sentence, and will also be disqualified from driving for four years after his release.