Jacinta Sinden-Roach finally faces the music after drugged-up Ringwood rampage and car chase
A young woman took a cocktail of drugs including ice before she got behind the wheel, sideswiped two cars and lead witnesses on a car chase.
Outer East
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A drugged-up driver who sideswiped two cars before leading witnesses on a car chase through Ringwood has finally front court three years after the rampage.
Jacinta Sinden-Roach, 26, pleaded guilty at the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court yesterday to drug driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident on Maroondah Highway on June 13, 2016.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Cato told the court Sinden-Roach was driving southwest along the highway about 5.15pm when she collided with two cars waiting to turn right.
Sinden-Roach failed to stop and witnesses reported seeing her driving erratically from the scene, “unable to stay in her lane”, Sen-Constable Cato said.
Witnesses pursued Sinden-Roach for more than 4km before she eventually pulled over in Ringwood where someone was able to pull her keys from the car’s ignition, the court heard.
Sen-Constable Cato said the woman later told police she’d consumed a cocktail of drugs hours before getting behind the wheel, including ketamine, methamphetamine, GHB and ecstasy.
Sinden-Roach’s lawyer told the court his client continued to drive after the incident and was unaware she needed to attend court before today’s hearing.
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He said she was transient for a period and at the time of the offending in 2016 she “was in a difficult space”, but no further driving offences were committed and she was now working as a dog groomer and hotel receptionist.
Magistrate Ian McGrane said intoxicated drivers posed a risk to the safety of other road users.
“The nightmare of driving on the road these days is when the next drug affected or drink affected driver is going to cause a collision with you,” he said.
Mr McGrane convicted and fined Sinden-Roach $1000 and disqualified her from driving for 26 months.