A drunk driver who ran down and killed a nine-year-old boy on Christmas night has been sentenced to seven years' jail.

Josiah Sisson was looking at Christmas lights with his family in Springwood, south of Brisbane last December, when he was struck by a ute.

Police alleged 25-year-old Adrian Murray was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Murray was sentenced in the Beenleigh District Court on Monday for the dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.

He will be eligible for parole after serving two years, and has been disqualified from ever holding or obtaining a drivers licence.

Josiah's father Karl Sisson astonished many when he met with Murray just after the accident and forgave him for causing his son's death.

Murray was forgiven by Josiah's father, pastor Karl Sisson (facing camera). ( Supplied: Peter Field )

But today outside court, the boy's father revealed his disappointment with judge Craig Chowdhury's verdict.

"Today's handing down of the sentencing is inadequate to what we felt we would like to see," Mr Sisson said.

"The first thing I thought about what that my son was nine years old and the defendant didn't even get nine years.

"That's a bit of a slap in the face when we have to live with this for the rest of our lives."

Father calls for harsher penalties

Mr Sisson also called for harsher penalties for drink drivers.

"It's rather disappointing that no matter what the police do, no matter what the courts do, all they can do is put them in jail," he said.

Adrian Murray could be out of prison within two years. ( AAP: Dan Peled )

"In other nations of the world ... they have much harsher penalties and that deters people from doing these things and I believe that needs to be revisited here in Australia.

"It's not okay to drink and drive and take someone else's life."

Pastor Peter Field spoke on behalf of the family two days after the incident and said they believed in forgiveness.

"He was a great little boy and he's going to be missed very much," he said.

ABC/AAP