WARNING: GRAPHIC
A drunk mum will have to wait another month to learn her fate after she got behind the wheel of her car because her adult daughter was being “narky” to her, before crashing and dragging her daughter 150 metres down the road.
An emotional Dale Palmer appeared at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm while under the influence of alcohol.
The 58-year-old was supported by her husband, son, another daughter and two family friends.
She was visibly emotional, crying as defence lawyer Arjun Chhabra told the court his client was afflicted with “much difficulty and heartbreak”.
“Ms Palmer is fundamentally a good person who engaged in a fundamentally bad act,” he said.
“She has suffered because the victim Keely is a cherished daughter. Ms Palmer has only herself to blame for the wrongs she brought on her family.”
According to court documents, Ms Palmer was more than three times over the legal limit when she got into a fight with Keely at a birthday party and stormed out to her Toyota Starlet, parked in the driveway.
The 58-year-old stormed to her car as Keely stood in front saying “I need to leave, I need to leave”, before calling the police.
Mr Chhabra said his client made an “emotional, irrational and on-the-spot decision” to get into her car.
Ms Palmer then drove her car forward, crashing into Keely, forcing her to become stuck in the front axle.
A neighbour heard the car revving loudly before Keely screamed “help, help, stop” and “dad help, stop the car”, court documents state.
Ms Palmer’s husband, Warren, chased the car as his wife drove more than 150m down the road, with their daughter dragging along.
“Put the f**king handbrake on … stop the car,” Mr Palmer screamed after his wife, court documents say.
Keely screamed in pain as the car stopped, as three witnesses tried to help Mr Palmer lift the car and free his daughter.
A witness told police Keely’s leg was wrapped around the front axle of the car with blood sprayed everywhere.
“Her right arm looked like it had been dragged along the ground, there was a lot of skin missing from the arm,” the witness said, according to court documents.
Keely screamed “why did you to this to me” and “get this woman away from me” as her mother stood by the kerb.
Police found Keely stuck under the car, with both ambulance and fire crews spending 80 minutes freeing her before she was rushed to hospital.
Officers found skid marks on the road, as well as her smashed iPhone and skin strewn along the street.
She underwent emergency surgery for multiple injuries including fractures, abrasions, skin defects, lacerations and loss of skin, muscle and bone. Keely was taken to the burns unit due to the amount of skin lost.
Ms Palmer was arrested and told police she was drinking all afternoon.
“The girls … don’t like me drinking wine and get narky at me, they attack me because they don’t like me doing that,” she told police, according to court documents.
She returned a breath test of 0.166 – more than three times over the legal limit, but told police she got in her car to “gather her thoughts”.
Ms Palmer, her husband and daughter all refused to provide a statement to police.
The court heard Ms Palmer had been estranged from her family following the horrific ordeal, with Mr Chhabra arguing she had already suffered enough and asked she be put on an Intensive Corrections Order rather than go to prison.
“This offence is one off for the nature and inherently at odds with her otherwise good character and 41-year driving history,” he said.
“Good character is marked as being a committed and loving caregiver to her children.”
Ms Palmer has engaged in Alcoholics Anonymous voluntarily and is also seeking management through a trauma psychologist, the court heard.
The court heard she has suffered with poor mental health, the diagnosis of an adjustment disorder with heightened mood and anxiety, loss of employment and public scrutiny since the crash.
“Alcohol reared its head on this evening and plays a particular part,” Mr Chabbras said.
“She has continued family support who have, to their credit, forgixjmtzywven her, embraced her and stood by her.”
In a letter provided to the court, Ms Palmer said she was “really shamed for the criminal wrongdoing”.
Mr Chhabra said the 58-year-old has been “in her own personal hell by her own hands” for the last 11-and-a-half months.
Prosecutor Alex Poulos said Keely stood in front of her mother’s car to stop her from driving while heavily intoxicated.
“This is appalling and to be avoided,” Mr Poulos told the court.
The magistrate said the matter was “not straightforward” and wanted more time to reflect on the material.
He adjourned sentencing to May 26.
