Drugged-up driver Marguerita Elizabeth to be sentenced next month for killing partner in crash

A woman has pleaded with a judge after killing her partner in a crash while stoned, pointing to her otherwise “unblemished” driving record. He wasn’t impressed.

A drugged-up driver has asked the court to spare her jail, saying no court sentence could be worse than the “terrible tragedy” she’s already suffered.

Marguerita Elizabeth, 70, was “very significantly impaired” by cannabis when she crashed into a tree while driving her unwell partner – who later died – to a medical appointment.

Tim Clarke, for Elizabeth, urged the District Court on Monday to consider imposing a suspended or home-detention sentence, saying no punishment could be greater than the one Elizabeth had already endured in losing her partner.

“This has been a terrible, terrible tragedy,” he said. Mr Clarke also noted Elizabeth’s previous “lengthy unblemished driving history”.

Judge Ian Press disagreed. “Ms Elizabeth has been driving clearly when she’s been using cannabis for some time … it’s unblemished in the sense that she hasn’t been caught,” he said.

“As a result of her cannabis use, her ability to judge speed, time, distance were all impacted and as a result of that she wasn’t paying attention for more than a momentary period of time.

“Cannabis had also impacted her ability to cope once she left the road.”

During sentencing submissions last month, the court heard Elizabeth was driving her “life partner”, Paul, from Milang to an appointment at Flinders Medical Centre for an appointment at the time of the crash.

The court heard she was reaching for an ice cream container for her nauseous partner when she drove a Toyota 4WD into a tree near the intersection of South Tce and High St, Strathalbyn.

Her partner had removed his seatbelt and suffered significant blunt chest trauma in the June 17, 2021, crash.

Marguerita Elizabeth outside the District Court at an earlier appearance. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Elizabeth, of St Marys, pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of causing death by dangerous driving over the crash in Strathalbyn in June 2021.

Prosecutors told the court the crash was the result of Elizabeth being “very significantly impaired” by cannabis.

A report indicated Elizabeth was an “extremely heavy” user of cannabis, smoking “up to 12 bongs a day”.

The court heard Elizabeth, who suffers post-traumatic amnesia, no longer uses marijuana.

Judge Press will sentence Elizabeth later this month.