Yasmin El-Masri sentenced for driving 50km/h over the speed limit while pregnant
A “devoted mummy” has been slapped with a whopping fine after she drove at crazy speeds and gave fake details to police because she thought she was in labour.
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A young mother who thought she was in labour has admitted to driving at excessive speeds, despite previously flagging a medical defence.
Yasmin El-Masri, 25, was heavily pregnant when she drove 50km over the speed limit before giving false details to police when she was caught in the act.
El-Masri, of Gulfview Heights, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court last week to exceeding the speed limit by 45 kilometres or more and stating false personal details.
A charge of driving disqualified and failing to comply with a bail agreement were withdrawn by prosecution.
Christina Chrisakas, for Ms El-Masri, previously told the court her client’s charges would be contested.
“Essentially Ms El-Masri was pregnant at the time, she was 31 weeks pregnant,” she said.
“She was driving disqualified and she was speeding – and ultimately we’re saying that she had a defence because she was having contractions and she thought she was in labour.
“Police followed her and escorted her to the hospital, she was assessed so we’re saying it was a medical emergency at the time.”
Court documents sighted by the Messenger alleged Ms El-Masri exceeded the speed limit by 45km or more at St Marys on May 27, 2022.
It is further alleged that the speed limit on Ayliffes Road was 60km/h and Ms El-Masri was travelling at a speed of about 111km/h.
A law defence of necessity operates when the circumstances at hand require someone to break the law in order to avoid even more dire consequences.
A person will need to prove they believed on reasonable grounds that they were placed in a situation of imminent peril and the court will need to be convinced that the act was proportionate to the potential harm.
Based off Ms El-Masri’s Instagram profile where she lists herself as a “devoted mummy”, her daughter was born in July last year.
Noting the six-month disqualification El-Masri had already served, magistrate Simon Smart disqualified her from driving for a further seven days.
She was also fined $3250 for the two offences, with convictions recorded.
El-Masri was sentenced to a good behaviour bond last year and spared convictions after a commercial drug trafficking charge was downgraded to a simple possession charge.
She pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis, cannabis resin or oil and multiple charges of possessing unregistered gel blasters, stemming from a bust at Oakden on June 18, 2021.
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