Killer driver Alisha Fagan escapes extra jail time for crime spree

A killer driver could still walk free from prison in December despite admitting to a series of separate offences including a violent assault and high-speed pursuit in the months before the deadly collision.

A killer driver who was handed an “unusually low” sentence for a crash that claimed the life of a beloved grandfather will likely serve no extra jail time despite admitting to a series of separate offences including a violent assault and high-speed pursuit in the months before the deadly collision.

Alisha Fagan, 22, was in August sentenced to a minimum six month prison term with her newborn baby over the crash that killed Sedat Hassan last June.

Fagan, who previously wailed and sobbed in court, faced the Melbourne Koori Court on Monday where she pleaded guilty to 40 offences, including more than a dozen incidents of dangerous driving, lying to police and assault with a weapon – all of which she carried out in the months preceding the deadly Sunshine crash.

The Aboriginal woman also admitted assaulting an emergency worker on duty but was only given a total of two months extra prison time, which won’t affect her parole eligibility date in December.

Alisha Fagan will still be eligible for parole in December, despite pleading guilty to 40 additional charges.

Fagan told the court on Monday: “I didn’t have someone to teach me right from wrong. I just did whatever. I didn’t have regard for anyone.”

The court heard Fagan’s offending was the impact of intergenerational trauma and prison life was tough for her and her two-month-old daughter, whom she fell pregnant with while bailed to Bunjilwarra Healing Centre after being charged with Mr Hassan’s death.

On June 9, 2022 while banned from driving, she drove through a give-way sign and crashed in Mr Hassan’s vehicle, killing him at the scene in Sunshine.

Fagan lied to police that four unknown African men were in the car at the time of the crash.

Fagan and her baby will this week be moved to Tarrengower Prison, a minimum-security women’s facility, to serve out for the duration of her sentence.

Her lawyer told the court: “It’s not the best environment at Dame Phyllis. There is a lot of interest from women in custody seeing a baby. It’s quite distressing for Alisha at times”.

The court heard Fagan had 12 run-ins with police for high-speed and unlicensed driving in the 12 months to April 2022, the court heard.

Fagan was sentenced to six months in jail for the fatal crash. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

In one instance the police air wing tracked her vehicle as she tore through Pakenham in excess of 150km/h in an 80km/h zone with four passengers on board, including a 16-year-old girl.

The incident on August 10, 2021 was described by police as “potentially catastrophic”, with Fagan swerving through traffic to avoid surrounding vehicles.

Her license was suspended at the time.

Fagan also gave a false name and address when pulled over by police on numerous occasions in Docklands, Windsor, Tarneit and Pakenham.

After being bailed from Werribee Magistrates’ Court on the sole condition she not drive, Fagan was busted speeding along Chapel St in April 2022.

She drove into a dead-end street where police found the driver’s seat empty and Fagan “awkwardly” seated across four rear passengers.

Fagan killed Sunshine West man Sedat Hassan in a high-speed crash. Picture: Supplied

After an initial denial, she admitted she was the driver but gave a false name and address and refused to attend to take part in an evidentiary breath test after a preliminary test detected alcohol in her system.

Fagan was also charged over a brutal street attack on a man and his girlfriend in the CBD in April 2022.

The court heard Fagan was armed with a knife when she kicked the head and back of her male victim and took his girlfriend’s Tommy Hilfiger handbag, stating: “It’s my bag now, b*tch”.

During her arrest, Fagan was aggressive toward police, later stating she didn’t remember hitting the victim and was “really drunk” at the time.

Fagan – currently jailed with her infant in the mum’s and bub’s unit at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre – was described by Magistrate Felicity Broughton as a “ticking time bomb” at the time of her offending.

“Your behaviour was completely out of control,” she said.

However Ms Broughton said it was clear Fagan was remorseful for her actions, which she believed were shaped by childhood trauma.

“It is emblematic of the life you led, the history of intergenerational trauma … all these things led to that point and blew up and now you are bearing the consequences of it,” she said.

“You do not have to be defined by the past.”

Fagan was originally facing 57 charges, but 17 were withdrawn by prosecutors.

She pleaded guilty to the remaining 40 charges and was sentenced to two months’ prison time, was disqualified from driving in Victoria for two years and ordered to pay $5000 to Fines Victoria.