New mum Shiona Taylor Platt was ‘significantly’ drunk when she crashed, seriously injuring friend

A new mum was “significantly” drunk when she ploughed through a roundabout on the wrong side of the road and seriously injured a friend, a court has heard.

A drunk driver sped through a roundabout on the wrong side of the road before ploughing into a bus stop in an “audacious driving manoeuvre” which seriously injured one of her passengers, a court has heard.

New mum Shiona Taylor Platt, 28, of Craigmore, had been drinking with a friend and her friend’s neighbour at Parafield Gardens on March 22, 2019, the day after a good friend died.

On Wednesday, the District Court heard Platt had no intention of driving on the evening but was agreed to be the least drunk among the trio to make a 4km trip to the White Horse Inn for more alcohol.

Carmen Matteo SC, prosecuting, said Platt was “significantly intoxicated” and driving “too fast to make a controlled entry to the roundabout” at the intersection of Kings Rd and Andrew Smith Drive.

She drove into the roundabout on the wrong side of the road, before losing control and crashing into a bus stop and tree.

“It was an audacious driving manoeuvre to enter the roundabout on the incorrect side of the road and one which carried a high and obvious risk of injury to others through a collision,” she said.

Shiona Platt is charged with two counts of aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

At the time, her blood alcohol level was between 0.171 and 0.178 – at least three times the legal blood alcohol limit. She was subject to the use of an alcohol interlock device at the time after prior drink driving offences.

A woman in the front seat suffered multiple fractures, including to her spine, arm, collarbone, shoulder multiple ribs as well as injuries to her colon and spleen. A male passenger suffered less serious injuries including bruising, swelling and abrasions, including from his seat belt.

The court has previously heard Platt had multiple prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with methamphetamine in her system and driving disqualified.

Ms Matteo urged the court to jail Platt for the offending.

Julia Davey, for Platt, said her client was found to be experiencing a “transient acute stress reaction” to the death of her good friend the day before the offending.

“She does accept that she should never have gotten in the car and driven,” Ms Davey said.

“It certainly wasn’t her intention to drive that night, she had been dropped off and was planning to get an Uber home.”

But she said it was decided Platt “seemed the least affected by alcohol” on the night and she was given the keys to drive her friend’s unregistered car.

She said her prior poor driving record came about because of an “extreme domestic violence” relationship which caused her to flee the state in 2018. She said Platt had been “self-medicating” with alcohol and drugs due to that relationship.

She asked the court to consider either suspending, or ordering Platt serve her sentence on home detention to allow her to care for her breastfed three-month-old daughter and continue her “significant” rehabilitation efforts.

Platt had earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated charges of causing harm and serious harm by dangerous driving.

Judge Simon Stretton urged Platt to consider alternative arrangements for the care of her baby. He will impose sentence next month.