An Australian driver has been sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison after killing five teenagers in a car crash.
Tyrell Edwards, 20, was the sole survivor of the crash in Buxton, an hour's drive southwest of Sydney, on September 7 last year.
He was 18 at the time when he drove his mum's Nissan Navara at high speed, crashed into trees, and split the car in two.
Antonio Desisto, Tyrese Bechard, Gabby McLennan, Lily Van De Putte, and Summer Williams, who were aged between 14 and 16, instantly died.
He pleaded guilty in August to five charges of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death.
New South Wales District Court Judge Christopher O'Brien handed Edwards a 12-year prison sentence on Friday.
"The loss of these five young people who had their whole lives ahead of them has caused indescribable grief," he said.
"Their deaths were completely avoidable."
Edwards appeared via audiovisual link and hung his head during sentencing, while the victims' families cried at the back of the courtroom.
The victims' family members delivered statements last week - Gabby McLennan's mother Samantha said she had a lot of hate for Edwards.
"I just want to ask you, what were you thinking driving like that with those children in the car?" she said in court.
"You've never shown remorse... not even a 'sorry'.
"This is a life sentence for all five families knowing our children will never be coming home," said Antonio Desisto's father Exaven.
Edwards admitted responsibility and expressed guilt and shame in a psychologist's report.
"My sorry won't change anything... and it will bring no comfort to anyone," he said in the report.
The psychologist also diagnosed Edwards with depression and PTSD.
"I know I must face up to what has happened," his statement said.
"I can't understand how unfair it is that I survived."
The judge said he was satisfied Edwards accepts responsibility, is remorseful, and has "excellent" prospects of rehabilitation.
"He has already been sufficiently deterred from ever behaving in a similar way in the future."
The judge gave him a 25 percent discount on his sentence for guilty pleas and backdated it to August when he was first put in jail.
Edwards will be eligible for parole in July 2030.
The night of the deadly crash
On the night of the crash, Edwards was driving his mum's car when he picked up Antonio and Tyrese and drove for nearly two hours around Wollondilly - often exceeding the speed limit.
He recorded himself swerving the car side to side at one point, as one of the boys said: "We're going to spin out."
The three then picked up Gabby, Lily, and finally Summer before filling up at a petrol station in Bargo.
Shortly after that, he overtook another car, crossed the centre line, and lost control of his car at 117km/h on a 60km/h road.
The car hit two trees on the roadside and shattered into pieces, with residents nearby saying it sounded like a "massive explosion".
Edwards was reportedly heard saying "I can't go to jail, I don't want to go to jail", as he climbed out of the wreckage.
