“TANYA was given a death sentence and we have been given a life sentence.”

So said Sharon Roneberg when she spoke of her heartbreak in Cairns District Court yesterday during sentencing of the driver who hit and killed her daughter last year.

Mount Isa man Lewis David Morgan, 20, was sentenced to 3½ years in jail for the accident that claimed Tanya Roneberg’s life as she rode her bicycle on the Captain Cook Highway on May 11 last year.

Morgan will spend 12 months behind bars, with Judge Brian Harrison suspending the remainder of the sentence. He will also lose his driver’s licence for four years.

With husband Geoff and son Brett beside her, Mrs Roneberg faced Morgan as she read her victim impact statement.

“The ability to be truly happy has been cruelly taken from us,” she said. “I should not be here today, speaking about Tanya in the past tense.

“It is difficult to comprehend that I will never see her, hear her laugh, hug her, speak with her ever again. It is wrong and I hate it.”

Speaking outside court, Brett said the family was disappointed in the length of the sentence.

“Although we are disappointed we are glad this step is over,” he said.

“It’s not going to make it any easier. Mum has to drive past that site to and from work every morning and nothing will make it easier … we’ll always miss her very much.”

Earlier, Judge Harrison ruled that Morgan’s blood-alcohol level had been an aggravating factor in the accident.

The court heard he had consumed up to 15 rum-and-cokes in town the night before, met a girl and returned to a friend’s place where he was staying about 1am.

Early the next morning, he drove her back into the city and it was as he was returning to Smithfield that the accident took place just before 7am.

His roadside blood-alcohol reading was 0.091 per cent and a short time later at a police station the reading was 0.076 per cent.

Judge Harrison said another motorist driving behind Morgan on the Captain Cook Highway watched his vehicle veer left then sharply correct just before the Thomatis Creek bridge, then veer again a short time later when the accident took place.

Tanya had been changing a tyre on the side of the road when she was hit.

“It really came down to your decision to drive. It seems clear that you started to fall asleep,” Judge Harrison said.

“You should never have been driving that morning and you know this.

“You did not allow yourself sufficient time to sleep it off.

“Most people don’t realise that anyone who drives a vehicle can make a mistake and anyone who drives a vehicle can be a candidate for something like this.”

Speaking outside court, defence lawyer Stephen O’Reilly said the sentence was within range based on the legislation, although he could understand the Ronebergs’ devastation.

“It’s not lost on any of us that we have a life lost and the lives of family and friends will be forever impacted upon,” he said. “Young Lewis understandably would do anything to turn back the clock.

“There was certainly no ­element of deliberateness to his offending.”

Since Tanya’s death the community has rallied behind efforts to improve safety for cyclists on Far North roads.

About 1000 people took part in the second Ride for Tanya earlier this month.

Outside court, Brett said his family’s pain was somewhat eased by Tanya’s legacy.

“We’ve very happy for the change that’s been happening and people behind the scenes pushing this through for us and for Tanya and for everyone else out there, for future victims and families,” he said.