Emma Martha Duffy jailed after causing horror crash in Blue Mountains

A Blue Mountains mother broke down in tears as she was jailed for driving under the influence and causing a horrific crash which left a young woman with “life altering” injuries.

Mother of three Emma Martha Duffy, 42, sobbed in the Penrith Local Court on Friday, May 16, as she was sentenced over a horrific crash she caused while driving under the influence in Winmalee on October 19, 2023.

A Blue Mountains woman has been jailed for causing a horrific crash, which left a young woman with “life altering” injuries, while driving under the influence.

Mother of three Emma Martha Duffy, 42, sobbed in the Penrith Local Court on Friday as she was sentenced over a horrific crash she caused while driving under the influence in Winmalee on October 19, 2023.

The court was told Duffy, who was driving a black Tesla, was seen by other drivers and recorded on dashcam swerving across the lane on Hawkesbury Rd at Winmalee to the point where one driver beeped their horn to get her attention.

Duffy then crossed into oncoming traffic, narrowly missing one car and colliding head-on with a Hyundai 130 driven by a 22-year-old woman.

The i30 veered off the road and into a residential front yard, narrowly missing a pedestrian.

Mother of three Emma Martha Duffy, 42, sobbed in the Penrith Local Court on Friday, May 16, as she was sentenced over a horrific crash she caused while driving under the influence in Winmalee on October 19, 2023.

The court was told the 22-year-old driver and sole occupant of the car remained trapped for some time before she was taken to Nepean Hospital; while Duffy appeared disoriented, unsteady on her feet and slurring her words.

Court documents state she tested negative during a breath test but was later found to have a concoction of valium, strong painkiller tapentadol and THC – the ingredient in cannabis which causes a high – in her system.

The 22-year-old driver suffered multiple injuries across her right arm, shoulder and hand, two fractured vertebrae in her lower spine and possibly a fractured pelvis.

“The injuries sustained by the victim are life altering with recovery being prolonged and extensive,” the documents state.

The court was told Duffy had chronic arthritic pain which was being managed by tapentadol as well as self-medicating with cannabis oil.

She had taken the oil around 6pm the night before the crash, and the next morning started driving her car around 7am.

She claimed she felt okay to drive – though Magistrate Brian Van Zuylen said this contradicted what happened next.

Duffy had earlier said she remembered driving that morning, but that her next memory was shortly after the crash.

She apologised to the victim in a letter to the court and said she hoped her recovery was going well.

She said the decision to drive that day was “stupid” and “regrettable” and apologised for causing so much trauma and suffering.

A character reference from a friend of 35 years stated she was studying a Bachelor of Social Science, wanted to pursue a career in social work and described her as a “family woman”.

She was sentenced to 16 months behind bars, but will be eligible for parole after ten.

Duffy crouched forward and began to sob loudly after her sentence was handed down, before she turned to the public gallery and said “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done”.

As she was handcuffed and led away, she began crying about her family and said “I never meant for any of this to happen”.

An appeal against the sentence was lodged, which will be heard in the Penrith District Court on June 9.