Taylor Angell: killer driver pleads guilty to car crash while disqualified
A young woman who has spent most of her adult life in jail after she killed a Sydney lawyer while she was driving high on ice is back behind bars after she was involved in yet another crash while driving disqualified and affected by Xanax.
St George Shire Standard
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A young woman who killed a man while she was driving high on ice has been convicted of crashing a car through a fence while she was disqualified from driving and affected by Xanax.
Taylor Angell, 25, was forbidden from driving until November 2029 after she was sentenced for five years and seven months’ jail for fatally running down Cronulla lawyer Marc Leabeater while she was high on ice in Taren Point December 2014.
Angell served three years and three months of her prison sentence for Mr Leabeater’s horrific death in Taren Point before she was released on parole – and promptly locked back up for another year only months later when she was convicted of supplying $15,000 of ice.
Only weeks after Angell was granted parole for a second time in April 2020, she got behind the wheel of a car with stolen number plates while she was affected by Xanax, lost control as she sped around a corner and smashed through a Kirrawee family’s front fence.
Angell is still subject to her full sentence for Mr Leabeater’s death, which does not expire until November.
However, Magistrate Jayeann Carney was unable to impose any further jail time for Angell at Sutherland Local Court on Monday due to jurisdictional limits in the local court.
“She deliberately drove when she knew she was disqualified,” Ms Carney said.
“She was under the influence of Xanax – that’s irrelevant, because if she decides to abuse drugs, get into a vehicle on a public street and risk community safety that cannot be taken into account as a mitigating factor.”
Ms Carney slammed Angell’s continued offending even after serving significant prison sentences for Mr Leabeater’s death and the subsequent ice supply.
“I denounce her for her conduct, because of the risk she took while driving under the influence of Xanax in terms of her own safety and the community’s safety,” Ms Carney said.
“I find it very concerning, I find her prospects of rehabilitation to be extremely poor and she would be likely to reoffend.”
Angell pleaded guilty to two counts of driving disqualified, negligent driving, failing to leave details after a crash and driving a car with stolen number plates and was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order with supervision from Community Corrections.
She was also disqualified from driving for another year and will not be eligible for a licence until November 23 2030.
She will remain behind bars serving the balance of her sentences for Mr Leabeater’s death and the drug supply until January 3 next year, when she will walk free from prison again.
Angell was unemotional as she appeared on screen in prison greens from Emu Plains Correctional Centre.
Angell has spent all but a few months of her adult life in prison as a result of her continued criminal conduct.
The court heard from her Legal Aid solicitor Angell is still struggling with drug addiction.