Amy Georgina Williams given prison sentence for stealing car, driving into fatal crash scene

A 30-year-old Mt Barker woman stole a car from a good Samaritan only to have it seized when she tried to drive past police at a fatal crash scene. Amy Georgina Williams appeared in Albany Magistrates Court last Thursday via video link from prison, pleading guilty to stealing a motor vehicle, burglary and two charges of stealing. Police Prosecutor Sgt Dave Loverock told the court about 3.30pm on March 14 last year, Williams attended Lake King Agencies roadhouse on Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road. Sgt Loverock said she spoke with the business’ owner but did not enter as it was closed. The owner then gave Williams a lift to the Lake King Tavern and $5 cash to call police because she seemed distressed. Later that day, the roadhouse owner was in the business’ driveway when he saw Williams driving away in his Isuzu MU-X, valued at $10,000, which had been parked in a rear shed. He tried to follow the woman to stop her before deciding it was unsafe. About 5.15pm that day, Williams was driving on Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road when she reached a roadblock at the scene of a fatal crash where a 36-year-old father of two had died in a collision between his ute and a Kenworth prime mover. Williams drove through the road block into the fatal crash scene and ignored the directions of contractors. Police officers then stood in the middle of the road to stop her, but she tried to drive around them. She came to a stop as the Kenworth prime mover was being retrieved from bushland. Police took the keys out of the stolen vehicle and returned it to its owner. Sgt Loverock said Williams was taken to Albany Health Campus for a mental health assessment and medical staff attributed her actions to drug use. According to her defence lawyer Janie Gibbs, Williams said she was fleeing a violent relationship in Perth at the time of the incident and believed her partner was drugging her. Ms Gibbs said her client was remorseful and regretted her actions, and she had not been in the “right frame of mind”. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan said Williams had taken advantage of someone who was “being a good Samaritan”, then put people at risk at the fatal crash scene. “I am not satisfied a fine would reflect the seriousness of circumstances of the offence,” she said. Williams was handed a six-month prison sentence, which she will serve at the same time as a 10-month sentence she received for unrelated matters in April.