Sanchia Zietta Romani convicted at Kyogle court of multiple traffic offences

The former owner of BlackBerry Wren in Kyogle was convicted of multiple traffic offences after taking police on a leisurely adventure through town. Read how things became stranger still when the matter reached court.

Sanchia Zietta Romani, 51, was convicted in her absence at Kyogle Local Court of failing to comply with a police signal to stop her car, driving an unregistered car, driving on an expired licence, driving an uninsured car and unlawfully possessing a fake number plate.

A former Kyogle business owner is facing a hefty fine after police trailed her vehicle for seven bizarre kilometres in a failed bid to get her to pull over - before she questioned whether a magistrate had authority over her when the matter reached court.

Sanchia Zietta Romani, 51, was convicted in her absence at Kyogle Local Court on October 14 of failing to comply with a police signal to stop her car, driving an unregistered car, driving on an expired licence, driving an uninsured car and unlawfully possessing an unauthorised number plate.

Romani – who is the former owner of Kyogle fashion boutique BlackBerry Wren – failed to comply with a police signal to stop for a random breath test at an RBT site on Summerland Way in Kyogle at about 6pm on September 1.

The Warrazambil Creek woman drove past the site in her blue Kia Rio hatchback.

Police immediately left the RBT site and followed Romani in a fully-marked police vehicle, following her through the Kyogle CBD area, and north along Summerland Way towards Wiangaree.

Sanchia Zietta Romani, 51, was convicted in her absence at Kyogle Local Court of failing to comply with a police signal to stop her car, driving an unregistered car, driving on an expired licence, driving an uninsured car and unlawfully possessing a fake number plate.

The warning lights and siren on the police car remained active during the entire time, with officers sounding the vehicle’s horn and flashing high beam lights to signal Romani to pull over.

“However she continued to ignore these directions to pull over,” police facts stated.

Instead, Romani rolled down her window, “slowed her car down and waved her right arm out the driver’s window on several occasions”.

“The accused appeared to be making these gestures in an attempt to have the police vehicle overtake her,” police facts stated.

After about seven kilometres, police stopped following Romani, “as it was obvious she had no intention of pulling over”.

Sanchia Romani is the former Kyogle shop owner of BlackBerry Wren.

Two weeks later, Kyogle police received a signed affidavit by Romani confirming she was the driver of the vehicle when the incident occurred.

However, when she appeared in court on Friday, October 14, she denied being the person who was charged with multiple driving offences.

Romani represented herself at court, flanked by supporters.

During the hearing, she refused to approach the bench, and shouted repeatedly “what happens if I pass the bar?”

Magistrate Michael Dakin asked her if she was in fact Sanchia Zietta Romani of Warrazambil Creek.

Romani told the court she was “a living woman named Sanchia … who has been put under physical and violent threat.”

Mr Dakin explained to Romani how Common Law operates in Commonwealth countries, only for Romani to announce “I am a Commonwealth citizen” and question whether Mr Dakin, or the court, had authority over her.

Mr Dakin told her that if she was not the person on the court attendance notice that she had received, then she had no right to address the court.

Romani replied “yes I do”, before Mr Dakin warned her that if she refused to co-operate before the court, “you’re likely to be arrested later today”.

Because she refused to acknowledge she was the person on the court attendance notice, she waived the right to plead not guilty to the charges, and was convicted in her absence.

Romani was ordered to pay a cumulative $2800 for outstanding fines for her offences.