Renee Alexandra Brown sentenced after stealing truck, driving dangerously

A woman stole a truck from a driver who stopped to help her, drove it from NSW to Victoria, and performed an illegal U-turn on the Hume Highway, a court has heard.

A woman stole a truck and drove it dangerously on the Hume Freeway to evade police in January this year.

A woman stole a truck from a driver who stopped to help her, drove it from NSW to Victoria, and performed an illegal U-turn on the Hume Highway, a court has heard.

Renee Alexandra Brown was sentenced in the Shepparton Magistrates'’ Court on Tuesday after earlier pleading guilty to a string on driving offences.

The court heard the 33-year-old from St Albans stole a prime mover truck in NSW on January 2, 2025, from a driver who stopped to help her on the roadside.

She proceeded to drive, without a licence, into Victoria before police tried to intercept her, twice with road spikes and by turning lights and sirens on.

While driving on the Hume Freeway in Barnawartha with blown out tyres from the road spikes, Brown used an emergency lane to perform an illegal U-turn and pulled out in front of two vehicles travelling at 110km/h.

She was charged with reckless conduct that placed people in danger of serious injury.

Brown was also charged with dangerous driving while pursued by police, not stopping for police, unlicensed driving, and careless driving.

Renee Brown appeared via video link from custody to be sentenced on dangerous driving charges.

She was also charged with dishonestly bringing the truck into Victoria knowing it was stolen and possessing methylamphetamine.

Magistrate Amina Bhai said Brown had a lengthy history of dishonesty and driving related offences.

She said Brown began using drugs at a young age with her addiction contributing to her offending, and had experienced “childhood trauma”.

The court heard a community corrections assessment showed Brown was at high risk of reoffending.

Ms Bhai said she took into account the seriousness of Brown’s offending, and accepted community protection was best served by rehabilitation.

Brown was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, with 187 days already served.

Once released she will be placed on an 18-month Community Corrections Order to complete treatment for mental health, drug use and programs to reduce reoffending.

She was disqualified from driving for four years.