Jessica Lee Church sentenced in Toowoomba Magistrates Court for dangerous operation of a vehicle, failing to immediately stop at an incident

Attempting to flee after she was allegedly assaulted, a Toowoomba woman hit her ex-partner with their car, and with him still on the bonnet drove away, flinging him to the gutter.

In an attempt to escape from her ex-partner, a woman hit the man with her, and as he clung onto the bonnet drove away, flinging him to the gutter where he was left unconscious.

The incident dated back to November 2020, with police prosecutor Sergeant Jessica Lynch telling Toowoomba Magistrates Court that Jessica Lee Church drove directly at the victim, who fell onto the bonnet of the vehicle.

With the man still on the bonnet, the court was told Church accelerated heavily and swerved, throwing the victim from the vehicle and into the gutter.

Sergeant Lynch said the man was knocked unconscious and suffered severe lacerations to the back of the head, with Church continuing to accelerate heavily and drive off.

Jessica Lee Church, 28, faced Toowoomba Magistrates Court on July 5 where she pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle and failing to immediately stop at an incident.

“The defendant didn’t call the ambulance service to render assistance to the victim after she did leave him lying in the gutter, and didn’t attempt to offer any assistance on her behalf,” Sergeant Lynch said.

“It was unknown what other events could have transpired after that and she has left him … it could have been a very different outcome.”

In court on Tuesday Church pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle and failing to immediately stop at an incident.

Church’s solicitor Alysha Jacobsen said earlier that day the pair, who were in a relationship at the time, had an altercation in the car at Picnic Point.

When they got back to their Toowoomba home he got out of the vehicle, and Ms Jacobsen said her client was trying to get away from her ex-partner when she accidentally ran into him before driving off.

Ms Jacobsen said Church handed herself in to police about half an hour after the incident.

A mother of three, Ms Jacobsen said her client had struggled with homelessness in the past but was being supported by her grandmother.

Magistrate Clare Kelly sentenced Church to 15 months jail, and was immediately released on parole.