Sonya Wiffen has driving ban reduced on appeal after crash that killed Humpty Doo’s Sally Steers

Sonya Wiffen was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended after four months, in June after she was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death.

The court has reduced Ms Wiffen’s driving ban from five years to two years.

A Top End woman who caused a crash that killed Humpty Doo mum Sally Steers two years ago has had her driving ban slashed by three years on appeal.

Sonya Wiffen was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended after four months, in June after she was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury of dangerous driving causing death.

The court heard Ms Steers, 58, had been waiting to turn into her partner’s driveway on the Arnhem Hwy in May 2021 when Wiffen crashed into the back of her car at speed following a “momentarily casual lack of attention”.

But on Wednesday, Ms Wiffen’s lawyer Ambrith Abayasekara told the Court of Criminal Appeal that sentencing judge Anthony Graham had failed to take into account the impact of also banning her from the road for five years when handing down the “lengthy” disqualification.

Mr Abayasekara said the ban was a “significant punishment” for anyone and one which, in his client’s case in particular, “would impact her in most areas of her life”.

He said Wiffen lived more than an hour outside Darwin where there was no public transport and needed her licence for work and to take her teenage daughter to school in town.

“She provided care for both of her parents who were cognitively impaired and unable to take daily care of themselves or to drive a car,” he said.

“She took meals to their property every night, assisted them with cleaning, medication and personal hygiene during that time.

Sally Steers with her daughter Ellee Yorston

“At the time of the sentence in fact, her father had been in hospital for an extended period of time due to his significant dementia and it was unclear when he was going to be released.”

Mr Abayasekara said Wiffen had also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the crash and needed her car to attend psychological counselling sessions.

“One can see that for someone living in a rural area with all of those particular circumstances it was an extremely onerous disqualification for her,” he said.

In reducing the five-year disqualification to two years, the appeal judges ruled that due to Wiffen’s lack of prior criminal history, “specific deterrence was not a significant factor requiring a substantial additional penalty”.

“Given the appellant’s residence (outside) Darwin, her employment and care responsibilities, we are satisfied a period of five years disqualification was unnecessary and was manifestly excessive,” Justice Jenny Blokland said.