North Kellyville: Lisa Mottram sentence hearing after hitting family
The estranged wife of former Parramatta Eels CEO Denis Fitzgerald crashed her car into a family-of-four after deciding to go buy cigarettes following a drinking session at The Fiddler.
Hills Shire
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A drunk driver who mowed down a family of four at North Kellyville last year sobbed and shook uncontrollably in court while her barrister argued she was remorseful and deserved a lenient custodial sentence.
Lisa Irene Mottram, 51, the estranged wife of former Parramatta Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald, sent a text message seconds before crashing into the family of four walking on the side of Hezlett Rd on September 16, 2018.
She had been drinking at The Fiddler, Rouse Hill, before a friend drove her home to Kellyville before she got in the car again to buy cigarettes.
She ploughed into the family, which included a girl visiting from Hong Kong.
At Parramatta District Court today for the sentencing, one of the adult family members listened to the case via audio visual link.
In his submission to the court, Ms Mottram’s barrister said she was fragile, had suffered post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety since the incident.
He said she had suffered a marriage breakdown and difficulties with her 15-year-old daughter before the incident.
“This led her to seek medical assistance but this also led her to seek some reliance on alcohol and cigarettes,’’ he said.
“This is not a typical aspect of her life.
“It is apparent that at or about the time of this incident, her mood was low. She was stressing out to various things and was depressed in mood but since this incident occurred she has acknowledged her guilt on driving offences and the victims.
“She is guilt-ridden and says she thinks of the victims every day.”
The barrister said his client had an “abundance of remorse” and had to be hospitalised for mental health problems for five weeks after the incident.
He said she also suffered distressing nightmares, daily flashbacks of the incident and had developed anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, nausea and insomnia.
“If she is to be incarcerated, then the effects of custodial sentence could be more onerous than for the theoretical inmate,’’ he said, adding that she would not have access to psychiatric care.
However, prosecutor Yvette Prowse said there was no direct evidence of remorse to her victims and a proper sentence was needed to show the public the dangers of drink driving.
Ms Prowse said the consequences of Ms Mottram’s actions were catastrophic and she recorded mid range drink driving two hours after the incident which claimed multiple victims.
The prosecutor also said Ms Mottram was planning to drive a long time of 30 minutes when she got in the car while drunk.
“It wasn’t a short journey — she has intended to drive 30 minutes.”
She said while Ms Mottram might normally be a person of good character who would struggle in jail there was a need to deter the community from committing offences.
The hearing was adjourned to Friday, November 29.