James Wynne behind bars for chasing, ramming partner’s car while his two babies were in backseat

An Albany man will spend more than five years behind bars after he chased and repeatedly rammed his partner’s car while their two eight-week-old babies were in the backseat. James Wynne, 44, was sentenced in Perth District Court on June 1, after pleading guilty to four counts of doing an act with intent to harm that endangered or was likely to endanger the life, health or safety of a person. District Court Judge Mark Herron said Wynne, a father of 16, and the victim had been in an “on-and-off relationship” for about nine years and shared three children. The court was told Wynne was served a family violence restraining order to protect the victim the night before the incident. About 9pm on July 2, the victim was at home caring for eight-week old twins when she heard a loud bang outside. Fearing it was Wynne, she drove the two babies to a female friend’s house who got into the car. While parked outside the home the women heard a loud bang on the rear car window and saw Wynne. The victim immediately drove away with Wynne driving after them. Judge Herron said while on South Coast Highway, Wynne rammed the back of the victim’s vehicle causing her to “lose control of the vehicle and . . . spin around 180 degrees”. Shortly after, still following closely behind the victim at speed, Wynne rammed into the vehicle again. Wynne’s defence lawyer Clint James Hampson said his client argued that he did not deliberately ram the car but crashed into the back of it after the victim braked at an intersection. Mr Hampson said Wynne was “heavily under the influence of methamphetamine” at the time of the incident. The victim then drove into a petrol station to try to escape Wynne but he followed her to the business, where he was captured on CCTV chasing her around the petrol bowsers in the car and ramming into the vehicle again. Mr Hampson said Wynne was not aware the children were inside the car, which was accepted by Judge Herron. State Prosecutor George Brett said Wynne’s actions had caused the victim to “fear for her life and that of her children”. “The complainant turned to check on her infant children and found they were asleep and unharmed,” he said. Wynne drove away after causing $5000 worth of damage to the victim’s car. He was arrested on July 5. During sentencing, Judge Herron said the offence was serious because Wynne was in breach of a family violence restraining order and used his “motor vehicle as a weapon”. “It would have been a terrifying and traumatic incident for both her and (the friend),” he said. “You deliberately rammed their vehicle and put their lives and health at risk.” Judge Herron said although Wynne might not have known his twin babies were in the car, he put their lives and health at risk, too. “Potential consequences of your offending behaviour could have been tragic,” he said. “It was fortunate that no one was injured or killed.” Judge Herron said Wynne had a “lengthy and concerning criminal record” including multiple violent convictions and years in jail. “It also indicates that you have entrenched or a longstanding disregard for the law, which appears to at least in part to be related to a serious drug problem, which you haven’t been able to adequately address,” he said. On Thursday, Wynne appeared on video link from prison in Albany Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to two breaches of a FVRO and one charge of reckless driving relating to the same incident. His licence was disqualified for a year and he received a 10-month prison sentence to be served concurrently with his District Court sentence.