Olivia Anne Rose Hanley appeals jail sentence over police pursuit
A woman who crashed at Holgate after leading police on a wild pursuit in a car, which had two firearms and an old grenade in the boot, has successfully appealed the severity of her sentence.
Central Coast
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A woman, who was already on an intensive corrections order for a police pursuit when she led officers on a wild chase through Terrigal, Holgate, Narara and back to Holgate, has successfully appealed the severity of her sentence.
Olivia Anne Rose Hanley appeared via video link at Gosford District Court on Wednesday after being sentenced at Parramatta Local Court on April 4, 2021, to 12 months jail with a non-parole period of six months.
The court heard she had served five months and two days in custody before her release on appeal bail on July 17.
An agreed set of facts states police were patrolling Serpentine Rd at Terrigal about 8pm on January 15 when they noticed a Toyota Corolla, which was linked to someone wanted on outstanding warrants.
Police attempted to pull the vehicle over but Hanley sped away and a pursuit was initiated.
Hanley turned against a red traffic light arrow onto Central Coast Highway and left into Carlton Rd at Holgate taking “hairpin bends at speed”.
She continued onto The Ridgeway, to the Pacific Highway at Lisarow towards Narara before doubling back and returning to The Ridgeway at Holgate where police deployed road spikes on Milina St.
Hanley went over the road spikes, which deflated both her front tyres and she lost control, hitting a tree.
An unknown male passenger fled on foot and despite a large scale search involving PolAir and the dog squad the man was not located.
Police searched the vehicle and seized two firearms, a baseball bat and a decommissioned grenade.
Hanley was taken to Gosford Hospital for observation before she was taken to Gosford Police Station where she declined to be interviewed and was charged with driving while disqualified and failing to stop during a police pursuit.
Hanley was not charged with any firearm or weapons offences and the owner of the weapons seized from the car was never identified.
“Those facts obviously disclose extremely serious criminality,” Judge Tanya Bright said.
“Travelling at speed for a very lengthy distance to cover multiple suburbs through both built up and rural areas created an extremely significant risk to other road users. There is no question in my view that a full-time custodial sentence was required.”
The court heard Hanley had a number of drive while disqualified offences on her record and was on an intensive corrections order for another police pursuit in 2018.
Judge Bright said Hanley’s offending occurred against a backdrop of a difficult childhood and longstanding problem with illicit drugs.
However Judge Bright said Hanley had taken significant steps to turn her life around since her release including getting a part time job as a medical receptionist, enrolling in a university degree and obtaining rented accommodation.
In a letter she wrote to the court, Hanley described the offending as “the biggest wake up call” of her life.
“If this can’t be a turning point in life nothing can. I intend to make every day count,” Hanley wrote in her letter.
Judge Bright upheld the appeal and resentenced Hanley to 12 months jail with a non-parole period of five months and two days, being the time she had already spent in custody.
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