Cobram woman Paige Welch pleads guilty to recklessly causing injury

An argument between two women during a wild New Year’s Eve party in Cobram ended up with one of them being run over by a car and in a coma with shocking injuries.

A Cobram woman has been sentenced for a hit and run on New Year’s Day in 2023. Picture: Brett Wortman

A woman has been jailed after a wild New Year’s Eve party in the state’s north almost ended in tragedy when she ran over the host in her car, flipping her onto the bonnet before crushing her under the wheels causing horrific injuries.

Paige Welch, 23, was at the victim’s Cobram house when a verbal altercation broke out shortly before 1am on January 1, 2023 shortly before 1am.

Witnesses heard Welch say “Move or I’ll f---ing hit you …” and “I’m going to run you over” as the victim approached the car window.

As the victim began walking back to her front gate, Welch accelerated, hitting the woman, flipping her onto the bonnet.

Welch then braked suddenly, throwing the victim under the car before Welch ran her over and sped off.

The victim was flown to The Alfred hospital and spent six days in an induced coma with a long list of injuries including a shattered pelvis with a bone having broken through her skin, multiple broken ribs, damaged lungs and a broken collar bone and at one stage had a 30 per cent chance of survival.

Welch presented herself to the Cobram police station at 5am that day

She was charged and pleaded guilty to causing serious injury recklessly, failing to stop and failing to render assistance after a vehicle accident.

Paige Welch will spend one year behind bars after she plead guilty to three charges in the County Court. Picture: NewsWire/Diego Fedele

Judge Geoff Chettle, who appeared via video link at Shepparton County Court on Thursday , sentenced Welch to 12 months’ jail with a three-year community corrections order.

Welch was also disqualified from driving for four years, backdated to January 1, 2023 and will be required to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and drug and mental health treatment.

Judge Chettle said the CCTV footage did not support the version of events Welch gave to police when she was interviewed.

He said she claimed she blacked out, thought the victim had a weapon, and that the victim moved in front of the car, but that was not supported by the evidence.

“You were controlled, assertive and angry when you left the house and got in the car,” he said.

Judge Chettle said he took into account Welch’s age, troubled childhood, lack of criminal history, mental health challenges including depression and her plea of guilty.

“Your offending was serious criminal conduct, you used a motor vehicle as a weapon, chose to drive as you did knowing the consequences and then drove away leaving the victim near death in the street,” he said.

“A combination sentence can meet all sentencing requirements and you can be punished and rehabilitated and the community thereby protected.”