A Victorian man who was imprisoned for more than eight years after killing his friend while drink-driving can appeal the length of his sentence.
Brandon Phongthaihong, then 21, killed his teenage friend and seriously injured two others after crashing into a tree on the Mornington Peninsula in April 2019.
A previous court hearing found Phongthaihong was driving at 117km/h in a 50 zone about two seconds before the crash.
The P-plate driver, who was not permitted to drink, also returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.189, which would have been three times the legal limit if he had a full licence.
Phongthaihong was in March 2020 sentenced to a total of 12 years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of eight years and nine months.
His lawyer Dermot Dann on Friday told Victoria's Supreme Court that despite the devastating impact of Phongthaihong's offending his prison sentence was "manifestly excessive".
Justice Phillip Priest granted Phongthaihong leave to appeal.
Phongthaihong's 17-year-old front-seat passenger died at the scene. Two other passengers, also 17, received life-threatening injuries from the collision.
One of them was placed into an induced coma at hospital and spent 10 months in rehabilitation before returning home. The other was placed onto life support for several weeks.
Witnesses said Phongthaihong admitted he was "too f***ed up" to skateboard about two hours before the crash.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of culpable driving causing death, two charges of negligently causing injury, and one charge of conduct endangering life.
A date for Phongthaihong's appeal hearing has not yet been set.
