(New York Daily News, Thursday, March 30, 2017) The South Florida man blamed for killing his wife in a car crash — during which the couple was having sex — has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Matthew Notebaert teared up in court on Wednesday as he told Circuit Judge Laura Johnson how much he missed his wife, Amanda Notebaert.
“I miss her more than words express,” he said, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Johnson called the 31-year-old’s death one of “the most senseless, tragic acts” she’s seen, the newspaper reported, before handing down the five-year sentence for the father of two — ages 12 and 3.
Notebaert was arrested in March 2014 after the car he was driving crashed into a canal as the couple headed home from a concert.
They were reportedly both naked from the waist down, and she was sitting on Notebaert’s lap when the car crashed.
Amanda’s head hit the dashboard and windshield, while her husband’s legs were significantly injured.
Cops said at the time Notebaet had a .135 blood-alcohol level — well above the legal .08 limit — and had significant levels of THC in his blood.
Notebaert was booked with DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and DUI property damage. In February he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and drunken driving.
In court on Wednesday, he explained they went to a concert — a Valentine’s Day gift — and it was her first night out since Amanda gave birth to their daughter, the Palm Beach Post reported.
They were drinking Crown Royal whiskey out of a flask during the show, the newspaper reported.
On their way home, they pulled over to have sex, he added in court, before heading home. That’s when the crash happened.
The wife’s death sent a ripple through both sides of the family, as Amanda’s parents sought Notebaert got the minimum 10-year sentence, according to the Palm Beach Post. They also said Notebaert restricted their visitation with their grandkids since Amanda died.
“You had a responsibility to get your wife home safely,” her father, Mike Stacey, told his estranged son-in-law.
