Anne Saab: Bonnet Bay drink driver has sentence reduced
A Sydney schoolteacher caught drink driving at more than seven times the limit with her three children in the car will be back on the road just 14 months after the shocking incident.
A Sydney schoolteacher caught drink driving at more than seven times the limit with her three children in the car will be back on the road just 14 months after the shocking incident.
Anne Saab recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.367 after she ploughed into a parked car in Bonnet Bay at 8.10am on April 9.
The 37-year-old woman was originally sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment in July, but successfully appealed the punishment’s severity at Parramatta District Court on Monday.
Saab will now serve her 12-month sentence in the community and is only disqualified from driving for 12 months from her original sentence date on July 5.
The Bonnet Bay woman failed to navigate a sweeping right-hand turn on Washington Dr before she crossed to the wrong side of the road and struck a parked car.
She then crossed back over to the correct side and mounted the kerb before the vehicle came to a halt.
Her children aged three, seven and nine were in the car at the time.
“A short time later, police have arrived at the scene to find the accused in the front passenger seat of the vehicle,” the agreed facts read.
“Police have spoken to witnesses at the scene who stated after the vehicle came to rest, the accused exited the driver’s seat and collapsed on the grass.”
The minimum penalty for high range drink driving is a 12-month disqualification.
A NSW Government spokesman said sentencing laws required judges and magistrates to impose appropriate sentences based on each individual offender.
“NSW drink driving laws have been effective at driving down the proportion of road fatalities attributable to alcohol consumption from 40 per cent in 1982 to 15 per cent last year,” he said.
“Stronger deterrents for drink and drug driving passed NSW parliament in September this year, which included an on the spot $561 penalty, plus a 3 month licence suspension for low range first time drink driving.”
Saab was teaching Year 5 students part-time at John Bosco Primary School in Engadine at the time of the crash.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Inspector Phil Brooks expressed his shock at the incident at the time.
“That was double the high range reading on our roads,” Insp Brooks said.
“That certainly highlights the risk not only to that mother and other road users, but also to her precious three young children.”
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