Dale Palmer: Caringbah South mother who ran over daughter when drunk sentenced

A highly intoxicated mother who drove her car into her daughter and dragged her 150 metres down the road, leaving her with horrific injuries, has been sentenced. Find out what happened in court.

A Sydney mother who ran down her daughter with a car and dragged her 150 metres down the road has avoided going to jail.

Dale Palmer, 58, was sentenced in Downing Centre Court on Thursday after hitting her 28-year-old daughter Keely with a Toyota Starlet and dragging her along their Caringbah South street on May 2, 2021.

She pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

Magistrate Brett Thomas imposed an intensive correction order of 21 months, taking into account the high alcohol reading, her good driving record over 42 years, remorse and “excellent prospects of rehabilitation”.

“The incident occurred in circumstances when any number of people were alerting her to try to get her to stop,” he said.

“Alcohol overwhelmed any ability she had to realise in any way whatsoever the danger she posed to her daughter who was attempting to stop her mother driving in the first place.”

Dale Palmer (middle) left the Downing Centre in Sydney after being sentenced for dangerous driving. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

The court heard Palmer had been drinking while hosting a party with her family on the night in question.

Her daughter and other family members raised their concerns about her state of intoxication but Palmer got behind the wheel of her car.

Her daughter was standing in proximity to the car in the driveway.

Palmer drove off and Miss Palmer became trapped under the vehicle as she tried to prevent her mother from driving while intoxicated.

Palmer’s husband began chasing after his wife telling her to stop while Miss Palmer’s screams could be heard. Palmer eventually came to a holt on Ash Street.

Neighbours came to assist Mr Palmer to free his daughter from under the car, with part of the incident captured on CCTV.

Keely Palmer was left with horrific injuries after the shocking incident.

Miss Palmer was left with horrific injuries after the shocking incident. She sustained a broken leg and skin and bone loss for which she underwent an operation.

Police arrived a short time later and spoke to Palmer who admitted to driving telling them she “jumped in the car and drove off” and did not realise her daughter was nearby.

She told them she wanted to drive down the road and “gather her thoughts”.

Palmer returned a breath test reading of 0.166 and was arrested and charged.

Dale Palmer was charged after she dragged daughter 100m under her car during a previous appearance at Sutherland Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Magistrate Thomas accepted Palmer’s plea of guilt and that she felt remorse for her actions while also taking into account Miss Palmer’s ongoing treatment and struggles to return to work and physical activity.

The court heard Palmer attended the Traffic Offenders Program and shared her experience.

The co-ordinator wrote a report which said Palmer sharing her story had a significant impact on other attendees and especially those who were there for drink driving.

“She did not have to do that and is to be commended,” Magistrate Thomas said.

“If by her doing this helps at least one other person understand the consequences of drink driving that can only be a good thing.”

He also noted character references said the behaviour for Palmer was “out of character” and the need for the mother to continue psychological treatment.

Dale Palmer arrived at Downing Centre Court on a previous occasion. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Magistrate Thomas also said Palmer had been forced to leave her long standing employment but had since rejoined the workforce.

She will be disqualified for two years, back dated to the date of the offence when her licence was suspended.

Palmer will not have an interlock device placed on her car as she no longer has a vehicle.

She will be required to complete 250 unpaid hours of community service work and must be abstinent from alcohol for the length of the order.

The court previously heard Palmer felt intense shame about her conduct and the impact it had on her daughter.

“She says, ‘I’m deeply sorry to my daughter, my family, my neighbours, the police officers and the ambulance paramedics’,” the barrister told the court.

“(She continues) ‘I committed a great wrong and I feel real shame for that criminal wrongdoing … I feel absolutely devastated, sickened beyond anything I’ve experienced’.”

Palmer’s barrister described the 11 months since Palmer was charged as a “personal hell” for the entire family – who have now offered Palmer their forgiveness.

Dale Palmer leaving Sutherland Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“She was in that hell by her own wrongdoing, and she did not seek to minimise that wrongdoing,” he continued.

“She does not think or act in a way that reflects a belief that her pain and suffering is greater than that which was sheeted home to Keely Palmer – there is a conscious comprehension that she wronged her daughter and several others in the community.”

The court heard alcohol had not previously been an issue for Palmer but in light of the events leading up to Miss Palmer’s grievous injuries, she was attending Alcoholics Anonymous and had abstained voluntarily from alcohol since her arrest.