A drug-affected driver who killed a young Canberra man in a horrific, high-speed head-on collision has been handed the maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment.
A Life Lost in a Moment of Recklessness
In the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, Shakira May Adams was sentenced for the death of twenty-year-old Matthew McLuckie. The fatal crash occurred in May 2022 on Hindmarsh Drive.
Adams was behind the wheel of a stolen Volkswagen Golf, driving on the wrong side of the road. She collided head-on with Matthew McLuckie's Holden Astra. Forensic evidence showed Adams was travelling at a minimum speed of 177 kilometres per hour, and potentially up to 186km/h, in an area with a much lower speed limit.
Witnesses reported seeing the stolen Golf racing another vehicle at extreme speeds moments before the impact. Adams was found to have methamphetamine, amphetamine, and cannabis in her system at the time.
A Long Road to Justice
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum imposed a head sentence of 14 years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of nine years. This makes Adams eligible for parole in August 2034.
The path to sentencing was protracted, taking over three years. Adams's guilty plea to culpable driving causing death and driving a stolen motor vehicle was delayed by multiple failed applications regarding her fitness to plead, an appeal, and numerous adjournments. Adams herself suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in the crash, which became a focal point in court proceedings.
Chief Justice McCallum was scathing in her remarks, stating Adams's driving had put others at risk "almost every second" and that she currently "poses a significant danger to society".
A Family's Unending Grief
The courtroom was filled with Matthew McLuckie's loved ones, who have attended hearings consistently. Last month, the court heard a series of devastating victim impact statements that painted a picture of profound loss.
Matthew's father, Tom McLuckie, spoke of an empty seat at the family table, his son's dogs waiting by the door, and a missing face in every family photograph. "I have lost my brave companion in life, always so adventurous ... my brave wonderful, tough boy," Mr McLuckie said. He added, "Our home once filled with warmth and laughter ... now carries the heaviness of our grief. I've been told to move on, I simply do not know how."
The Chief Justice acknowledged 13 "beautifully written expressions of grief" that provided a vivid portrait of a "remarkable, bright, joyful young, red-headed man that will not be forgotten".
In addition to the excessive speed and drugs, the court heard Adams drove through red lights and weaved through traffic in the stolen car prior to the fatal collision.
