A WOMAN who drove her car into the side of a house and then drove the same car into her boyfriend escaped jail time in Orange District Court last week, but only just.
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Heather Russell, 30, drove her car into a house in Breen Street at 4.45pm on November 9, 2012 and caused over $20,000 in damage but she also put her boyfriend in hospital with serious leg, shoulder and hand injuries.
Judge Stephen Norrish gave her a suspended jail sentence of one year and nine months in total for her crime, but the sentence meant if she stepped out of line within that period she would go straight to prison.
Russell’s boyfriend jumped out of the car moments before she smashed into the house and he fled towards Wentworth Lane and the Kenna Street intersection
As he escaped, she clicked the car into reverse and drove after him while the bits of brick from the house fell away from the car.
The car could be heard for some distance because of the damage that had been caused to it and witnesses watched Russell speed towards Kenna Street in pursuit of her boyfriend, police facts said.
Russell then failed to give way and crashed the car into her boyfriend who was thrown into the windscreen.
She stopped a short distance away and ran back towards him.
Police said she was distressed by what she had done.
Russell was convicted of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, malicious damage and driving under the influence or drugs or alcohol.
