A Melbourne ice junkie being investigated over the death of his partner has been jailed for sideswiping a driver in a crazed road rage incident.
Troy Boothey, 25, veered his car into another vehicle while travelling 80km/h on a busy Melbourne highway, after becoming enraged at the driver.
The force of the collision spun Boothey's car out of control on the stretch of highway in Pakenham, in an incident which Magistrate Pauline Spencer said could have been fatal.
"It is only by the grace of God you didn't kill somebody," she told Boothey.
Family members of Boothey's former partner Maddison Murphy-West, who was found dead last year, attended the Dandenong Magistrates Court for his sentencing on Monday.
Ms Spencer expressed her condolences to the grieving family and said the fact police were investigating Boothey in relation to the death would have no bearing on the sentence.
Boothey has not been charged over the death of Ms Murphy-West.
Ms Spencer said Boothey was abusing ice in December 2013 when he committed the "reprehensible" road rage incident, in which his victim believed he would be killed.
"He feared death on that occasion," Ms Spencer told Boothey.
"Not a day goes by in this court where we don't have serious and high risk offending as a result of ice use."
Ms Spencer said Boothey had a history of relevant prior offending including charges stemming from a police pursuit in January 2012.
He is already serving a prison term after he was jailed for 14 months on other matters in July last year.
Ms Spencer convicted Boothey of reckless conduct endangering life and unlicensed driving, jailing him for an additional 18 months.
She added a non-parole period of 12 months, meaning Boothey could be free next September.
His licence has been suspended for five years.
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