Jannine Lauren Vincent: Road rage spitter cops a fine and a gobful

A 56-year-old “dry-mouthed” woman who spat in the face of a man last year in the Illawarra’s northern suburbs has fronted Wollongong Local Court.

A Thirroul woman who spat at a man in an act of road rage during the height of Covid lockdowns last year has copped a $250 fine in Wollongong Local Court.

Jannine Lauren Vincent, 56, repeatedly denied “hacking, spitting or producing bodily fluids at that man” in the stand on Monday as she looked to dodge a charge of common assault.

The disgusting incident occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, July 29, 2022 when Vincent was travelling home after seeing her unwell mother in Wollongong Hospital.

Travelling north along Lawrence Hargrave Drive she drove past the man who was pulling out of the Woolworths in Bulli.

The man overtook Vincent due to a “smoke stream” coming out of her car and at that point the woman honked her horn.

The victim gave her a courtesy wave which Vincent described in court as “unfriendly” and this triggered her to continue blaring her horn, flash her lights and tailgate the man.

Jannine Lauren Vincent leaving Wollongong Courthouse on Monday. Picture: Dylan Arvela

Around 1km up the road, the man pulled over at which point Vincent exited the car and unleashed a verbal tirade before spitting at him and the vehicle as he wound up his window.

Senior Constable Brett Sergeant gave evidence in court and he was asked during cross-examination why he didn’t take a sample over the spit to verify it was Vincent’s.

“We’re not going to collect spit off a window,” he responded.

When Vincent took to the stand she continued to deny she was the spitter claiming she “suffers from dry mouth” and ”struggles to make a mouthful of spit”.

Vincent claimed the man was “provocative in a road rage type of way” because he didn’t let her overtake him.

Magistrate Robert Walker dismissed the defence’s case and concluded she had indeed spat at the man and it was a result of “pent up feelings” about her mother.

The spit on the victim’s window. Picture: Supplied

“People go crazy on the road... road rage is a scourge on society and it’s happening more and more every day,” Magistrate Walker said.

“When you get out of a car you know there’s going to be trouble. Normally it’s the man that jumps out of the car. Maybe [she was upset] by [the victim’s] driving, but she shouldn’t get out of the car.

“It’s spitting on someone an assault? Yes it is.

“I am of the view that she had pent up feelings about her mother and took them out on this man.”

The magistrate said it was “more serious” due to it being during “Covid times” and indicated that while she is convicted and will have to pay $250, that figure could have been up to $5000.

Magistrate Walker also dismissed the defence’s claims regarding the lack of DNA evidence, deeming a slobber on the man’s window and sunglasses was sufficient.