A WOMAN has been sentenced to three years' jail after she "snapped" and used her car as a weapon against the parents of her ex-partner following their eight-year relationship breakdown.
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Tumbarumba's Alysha Julie Oliver, 30, appeared in Wagga District Court on Monday after she pleaded guilty to two counts of using a car as an offensive weapon causing grievous bodily harm.
Court documents state that in November 2017, the parents of Oliver's ex-partner were at their Coolamon house when they saw Oliver, who drove from Tumbarumba that morning, in her ute coming up the driveway.
She struck the female victim and pinned her against a parked car. The victim, who suffered back and abdomen injuries, managed to get free and saw Oliver at the wheel with "a blank look on her face".
Oliver then drove towards the male victim, but he was able to jump out of the way. He then used a metal pipe to smash the driver's window, wounding Oliver's arm.
She then left the premises before calling triple zero, saying she had only "squished them a little bit".
More from the courts
Oliver had earlier sent about 30 text messages about harming her ex-partner and his parents. In one, she wrote: "I'm in Coolamon going to kill your hole [sic] family."
In court on Friday, Judge Jennifer English said the incident was serious and that it was aggravated because it happened at the victims' premises.
"It did involve a degree of planning - given the nature of the text messages, she had made up her mind," Judge English said.
However, the judge said Oliver's various mental health issues reduced her moral culpability.
The court heard that Oliver was diagnosed with various conditions at an early age, including borderline personality disorder and borderline intellectual functioning.
Earlier during the sentencing hearing, defence barrister Michael King argued for leniency, saying that the injuries suffered by the female victim fell short of grievous bodily harm.
"My ultimate submission is that there is a clear connection between the offender's mental state and the offending," he said.
However, Crown solicitor Virginia Morgan said the lack of serious injuries were "a matter of good luck as opposed to anything done by the offender".
"Undoubtedly, this was a terrifying episode for both [victims]," she said.
A five-year apprehended violence order was also placed on Oliver.
She was eligible for parole with supervision today after being in custody for 21 months pre-sentence.
However, she was refused bail in relation to other charges and will face court again in September.
