By Perry Duffin
A Sydney socialite spent the night in the police cells after allegedly smashing into several parked cars, including a Tesla, while horrified diners tried to pull the allegedly drunk woman out of her Range Rover in the city’s east.
Vanessa Jacobs Fennell, 54, was allegedly “doing laps” around Bellevue Hill with shredded tyres when she smashed into a parked Tesla at 7pm on Friday.
The Herald came across the wreck as Jacobs Fennell was still behind the wheel of the badly damaged black SUV outside The Grumpy Baker on the corner of Riddell Street and Bellevue Road.
Jacobs Fennell was waving away enraged diners who had rushed into the street to try to pull her out of the car.
“She’s been drinking,” one on-looker claimed, mimicking a swig from a bottle. “And doing laps.”
“That’s cocktails for you, I’ve seen it before,” another man added.
Jacobs Fennell’s black SUV was heavily damaged in the incident before she was arrested.Credit: Rhett Wyman
The side of her Range Rover had been damaged where Jacobs Fennell allegedly grated it along multiple parked cars along Bellevue Road.
A white Tesla’s rear bumper, a wing-mirror on a van and the front of a Subaru had all taken a hit.
Police arrived and spoke to Jacobs Fennell before she allegedly returned an initial positive breathalyser result and was taken to Waverley Police Station.
Jacobs Fennell allegedly assaulted a police officer following her arrest and had been in custody since Friday night.
Vanessa Jacobs Fennell, a Sydney socialite, allegedly smashed her Range Rover into parked cars while drink-driving in Sydney’s east.Credit: Rhett Wyman
She was expected to face Parramatta bail court on Sunday charged with refusing to submit to breath analysis, assaulting police in execution of duty and not giving particulars to the owner of damaged property.
But police released her on bail on Saturday evening, ordering her to front Waverley Local court on April 1 instead.
Jacobs Fennell was shortlisted for a series of Real Housewives of Sydney before being excluded, reportedly over tensions with another cast member.
Diners escort Jacobs Fennell from the vehicle. Credit: Rhett Wyman
She was described in the gossip pages, at the time, as “a charity fundraiser who has been on committees for Sydney Children’s Hospital and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute” and who had been married to a private equity worker.
Her car was towed at her expense.