Roma Magistrates Court: Pregnant woman charged with careless driving after driving car at ex-partner

An unlicensed pregnant woman who drove her car at her ex-partner just months after drunkenly crashing into a power pole has faced court. Here’s what happened.

A heavily pregnant woman who ‘panicked’ and drove her car at her ex-partner on the side of the road alleged he had abused her during their relationship.

The woman, who for legal reasons cannot be named, pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to careless driving, despite losing her licence just two months prior in June 2022.

The defence lawyer said his client’s ex-partner had allegedly sexually and physically abused her and she also suffers from PTSD.

“He (the ex-partner) ran in front of my client, who had two wheels on the footpath and two on the road. He was standing on the road,” he said.

“My client unfortunately had the reaction where she saw him and panicked.

“She had a panic attack effectively, a relapse of her PTSD symptoms. My client had a short time to react and reacted with panic.

“On this particular occasion she made the mistake of driving very quickly, and I emphasise of course that she wasn’t deliberately driving at him, it was just carelessness.”

The court was told the defendant is now in a new relationship and lives 400km away from her ex-partner, with the move positively impacting her mental health.

However, magistrate Shane Elliott said she was lucky to not have been charged with unlicensed driving as well after she was convicted and suspended in Goondiwindi Magistrates Court for drink driving in June last year.

Her lawyer asked if the magistrate could view this current charge as lesser than the other one and use the previous offence as a “benchmark” when sentencing.

“For the carelessness and driving under the influence (offences), there was an impact upon a power pole on a residential home, and that’s the worst offence and I ask that you take that as the benchmark for the current offence,” her lawyer said.

The magistrate said it was concerning the defendant had driven in the direction of another person, however he took into account her ptsd and the alleged domestic violence committed against her.

She was fined $750 and the conviction was recorded.