Shayleen Frail: Mother who lost two young sons in car accident has fronted court after attack on ex-partner’s new girlfriend

A Wellington mother grieving the loss of her two sons in a tragic car accident last year has escaped jail after attacking her ex-partner’s new girlfriend in a jealous rage.

A bereaved mother who lost two young sons in a horrific crash early last year has been sentenced in court after attacking her ex-partner’s new girlfriend in a jealous rage.

Shayleen Frail, 35, appeared in court after she was arrested on December 9 last year, pleading guilty to domestic violence related assault occasioning actual bodily harm, entering a house with intent to commit an indictable offence and common assault.

Documents tendered to court reveal the day before Frail’s arrest, she was angry about her ex-partner’s new relationship when she started hurling abuse to the effect of “piece of s**t” and “you dog” at his house on Walker Street in Wellington.

Shayleen Frail appeared in Wellington Local Court yesterday. Picture: Facebook

Frail’s “aggressive behaviour” continued, waving a wooden table leg around with the ex-partner leaving out of fear for his safety.

She followed him to a property across the road where his new girlfriend – the victim – was told by a witness to “go and hide,” as the 35-year-old was coming.

The victim was found in her room as Frail began snatching at her phone before punching her upper lip, “causing the area to swell and bleed from a cut”.

In an attempt to protect herself, the victim put her hands up as Frail continued to yell abuse saying, “be a woman and tell me you’re f**king my man,” court documents reveal.

After leaving the room for a short period, Frail said “nah f**k it,” returning and grabbing the victim by the hair and demanding her phone.

Frail pushed the victim into a bedside table while still holding the hair, resulting in a laceration to the victim’s eye and later leaving with the phone.

The following day about 8.45am, Frail saw her ex-partner at the Methadone clinic at Wellington Hospital and she started to abuse him yet again before spitting at him.

Later that day, the ex-partner and the victim reported the two incidents to police at Wellington Police Station, with officers photographing the injuries sustained by the victim.

Shayleen Frail was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order in Wellington Local Court.

Police attended the properties on Walker Street, finding damage done by Frail to the doors.

Officers found Frail at a property on William Street where she “completely denied having any involvement with the … incident”.

She was taken to Wellington Police Station where officers noticed blood stains on her white shoes, and they were confiscated for forensic testing.

On Tuesday, the court heard from Frail’s lawyer, Zoe Huijer who shed light on her client’s troubled upbringing which has affected her moral culpability.

Ms Huijer also highlighted an incident from January last year where Frail was involved in a tragic car accident where she lost her two sons and sustained injuries, making her fall back into drug use.

While accepting the seriousness of the attack, and conceding a “significant penalty must be afforded to” her client, Ms Huijer said it did not cross the section five threshold, and as a result should receive a community based order.

Magistrate Stephen Olischlager accepted Ms Hijer’s submissions, noting Frail had already spent five months bail refused in custody for this incident, saying it would have been “a good wake up call”.

“I would consider [these charges] perhaps below the mid-range of objective seriousness, but only just,” Magistrate Olischlager continued.

“The court is satisfied there is an alternative to prison.”

Magistrate Olischlager handed Frail an 18-month community corrections order for each charge.