Keith Christopher Dowling guilty of ‘unintentionally’ running woman down with car

The court heard despite the man driving up the gutter and accelerating towards the woman, hitting her on her left side and knocking her down, his actions were ‘not intentional’.

The court heard Keith Dowling exited his vehicle while screaming ‘Get in the f—ing car’ at the victim before driving off without her.

A man who ran his partner down with his car outside a primary school in Darwin’s north has pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment after prosecutors accepted his actions were “not intentional”.

Keith Christopher Dowling, 33, faced the Darwin Local Court on Friday where he was expected to plead not guilty before his victim fell ill and was unable to testify.

After discussions between defence lawyer Julie Franz and prosecutor Daniel Warner Collins, Dowling instead also pleaded guilty to property damage, using a carriage service to harass and possessing less than a traffickable quantity of methamphetamine.

Mr Warner Collins said the couple had only been in a relationship for a matter of weeks when they had an argument while Dowling was driving and he pulled over and grabbed her mobile phone.

He said Dowling then smashed the phone and left the woman on the street as he drove away.

Later, Mr Warner Collins said the woman was at the park near Anula Primary School when she called Dowling and asked him to pick her up before changing her mind and asking him not to come.

He told the court she was still “happy to see (him)” when he arrived anyway thinking he would pick her up before things again turned nasty.

“The defendant drove his vehicle up the gutter and accelerated at the victim, the defendant struck the victim with his vehicle, hitting her on the left side, knocking her down,” he said.

“The defendant’s actions were reckless and not intentional.

“The defendant immediately exited his vehicle while screaming ‘Get in the f—ing car, get in the f—ing car’ at the victim, the defendant then drove off without the victim.”

Mr Warner Collins said when police arrived, the woman declined to press charges or be taken to hospital and was instead dropped at a safe house before later deciding to make a formal complaint.

“The victim advised she (was) still receiving text messages from the defendant where he is threatening to assault her, verbally abusing and intimidating her, constantly harassing her over the phone,” he said.

In successfully applying for an adjournment so Dowling could be assessed for supervision on a suspended sentence after completing residential rehab, Ms Franz said he had already spent six months on remand.

“Today there is significant utilitarian benefit to this matter resolving in the way it has even though it is on the day of the hearing,” she said.

“Mr Dowling is someone who has suffered from an addiction, for some months we’ve tried to get him assessed.”

He will return to court for sentencing on Wednesday.

Originally published as Keith Christopher Dowling guilty of ‘unintentionally’ running woman down with car