Woman with Covid in quarantine taken into NSW Police custody over court order breach

A woman ill with Covid and quarantining at home was arrested at St Marys police station after returning from New Zealand over a dated breach of court orders.

A woman with Covid was arrested and taken into NSW Police custody for failing to report to community corrections after she was hit with criminal charges related to a suicide attempt.

NSW Police arrested a 40-year-old woman, who the Penrith Press has chosen not to identify, for breaching a community corrections order by failing to engage with court-ordered supervision because she was living in New Zealand.

The woman was subject to a three-year supervised community corrections order after she was convicted of reckless driving in 2019 following a harrowing incident in which the woman attempted to commit suicide by crashing her car in Minto, narrowly missing several pedestrians.

The woman was arrested on September 17 following her return from New Zealand in relation to the CCO breach and taken into custody at St Marys police station, despite the fact she and her partner were both Covid positive and in quarantine at their Penrith home.

The woman’s solicitor entered a guilty plea on her behalf at Penrith Local Court the same day, where the woman also appeared via audiovisual link from St Marys police station.

The woman was arrested at St Marys police station.

Magistrate Rebecca Hosking took no action on the breach, and the woman will be required to comply with the original conditions of the corrections order, which expires on February 9 next year.

“We’ve got to get her out of custody,” Ms Hosking said.

“You admit that you breached your CCO because you stopped engaging with community corrections, you understand you’re currently Covid positive and you’re going to be released so you can get treatment.”

NSW Police did not respond to questions about why the woman was arrested when she was still Covid-positive and could have been subject to police monitoring under public health orders while she remained in quarantine at home until she recovered.

“The woman was arrested by virtue of a warrant for breaching a community correctional order, issued by the court,” a NSW Police spokeswoman stated.

“Breaching of court orders is a serious offence and when a warrant is issued, police will take action.”

The woman was arrested at her Penrith residence. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

A uniformed police officer could be seen standing a short distance from the woman, where she was connected to Penrith Local Court via an iPad.

NSW Police did not say whether that officer or any others involved in her arrest were required to isolate following their contact with the woman.

“The NSW Police Force, in consultation with NSW Health, have implemented measures to ensure the safety of officers when persons that are COVID-19 positive are in custody,” the spokeswoman stated.

“This includes wearing full PPE, deep cleaning and isolation within the cells.”

Essential workers were seen lining up to get tested for Covid at Sydney International Airport. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Documents tendered to Penrith Local Court about the woman’s original charges reveal a devastating account of how the woman came to be charged in 2019.

“Police again cannot express in words alone just how dangerous the accused’s manner of driving was and that the video footage depicts this clearly,” agreed police facts tendered to the court state.

“The pedestrian in this matter is extremely lucky to still be alive to this date and if she had walked one second slower or not jumped as much as she had, she would have more than likely have been deceased.”

The woman was estimated to have been travelling at up to 110km/h on Brookfield Rd, Minto, when she ploughed through a pedestrian crossing, became airborne over the median strip and narrowly avoided two pedestrians, one of whom was pushing a pram, before she stopped.

“The accused’s vehicle has at this time missed colliding heavily with this pedestrian by millimetres,” agreed police facts state.

“Police introduced themselves and began attempting to speak with the accused who immediately said ‘I just wanted to be dead. I just wanted to kill myself. I did this on purpose. I accelerated at high speed and just didn’t stop trying to kill myself”.”

The woman confirmed to Ms Hosking that she understood she was required to engage with community corrections moving forward.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.