Former MP Amy MacMahon's drunk driver learns her fate in unexpected courtroom twist
The crash occurred around 6.30 pm on Monday, 12 February 2024, at the busy intersection of Baines Street and Main Street in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane.
In a surprising courtroom twist, MacMahon delivered a powerful victim impact statement urging the judge to show mercy to drunk driver Rani Lowry, who critically injured her.
MacMahon spent weeks in a coma, suffering a traumatic brain injury after the crash.
Red light, high speed, and three times the limit
Lowry, 27, was behind the wheel of a Hyundai i30 when she ran a red light at Kangaroo Point last year, slamming into MacMahon's Toyota Prius at high speed.
CCTV footage showed Lowry travelling 23 kilometres per hour over the speed limit, and tests revealed she was three times over the legal alcohol limit.
The collision left MacMahon fighting for her life.
She was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital with severe head injuries and a suspected spinal fracture.
The crash sent shockwaves through the political community, drawing support from colleagues across party lines and prompting an outpouring of public concern.
But it was MacMahon's actions in court on Friday that stunned observers.
'I am willing to help'
Despite the life-altering injuries she sustained, the former MP addressed the court with empathy and compassion, asking the judge to consider the young woman's struggles.
'If you need support to be able to devote your time to making the community a better place, I am willing to help,' MacMahon wrote in a deeply moving statement of support for Lowry.
Lowry's lawyer told the court she had fallen into a downward spiral of alcohol dependence following the sudden death of her brother.
The court also heard she had shown genuine remorse and had taken steps toward rehabilitation.
No prison, but a long road ahead
While condemning Lowry's actions as 'dangerously reckless,' the judge sentenced her to a three-year parole term, meaning she will not serve time behind bars unless she breaches her parole conditions.
The judge acknowledged the exceptional nature of the victim's plea and said MacMahon's compassion carried significant weight in the decision.
Elected in 2020, MacMahon quickly became known for her fierce advocacy on issues such as housing, climate change, and social justice.
However, the Greens MP lost her South Brisbane seat to a Labor candidate in 2024.
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The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served.
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Tougher national working with kids scheme by year's end
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A NSW parliamentary inquiry on Thursday was told childcare centres were not checking whether staff were allowed to work with children before they were hired. The inquiry was also told banned workers were able to remain in the industry for years without oversight. Opposition education spokesman Jonno Duniam said "there is no time to waste to put stronger measures in place to protect children in child care". The Greens will move to establish a senate inquiry into the safety and quality of early childhood education when parliament resumes later in August. The nation's education ministers will meet next week to consider further child safety laws for childcare centres. Among the measures being considered are use of CCTV in centres and mandatory child safety training. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 People banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction will be banned in all under fast-tracked reforms to be delivered by the end of the year. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland announced on Friday her state and territory counterparts had committed to a "long overdue" scheme, where different systems across the nation will communicate with each other. "We now have a moment as a country, as a federation, to get this done," she told reporters in Sydney. "Attorneys-general today agreed to toughening the system by ensuring that if you're banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction, you are banned in all of them." Ms Rowland said her counterparts supported accelerating delivery of the reform by the end of the year. "There is a firm commitment from all states and territories to pull out all stops and we are working together as a team," she said. Education Minister Jason Clare also announced compliance action had been initiated against 30 early childhood centres under laws passed by the federal parliament in July. Under the changes, funding will be stripped from centres not meeting safety standards. Calls for a unified system have been growing following multiple reports of abuse in childcare centres. In one case, a Victorian childcare worker was allowed to retain his working with children check and work in the sector despite a major provider substantiating grooming allegations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the reports were shocking and more needed to be done to fix working with children checks. "It's hopeless, and we need to do better, quite clearly, and these revelations are a wake-up call for state and territory governments in terms of the regulations," he told ABC Radio on Friday. "The reports that we've seen recently have shocked parents and (are) every parent's worst nightmare. That's why we are taking action at the national level." Recommendations for a national scheme were made in 2015 as part of a royal commission into child sexual abuse. Ms Rowland acknowledged the reform had not happened quickly enough and had been "let down by successive governments at all levels". "We are here as representatives of the states, territories and Commonwealth to say we're here to make that right, and that is why we are taking decisive action," she said. A NSW parliamentary inquiry on Thursday was told childcare centres were not checking whether staff were allowed to work with children before they were hired. The inquiry was also told banned workers were able to remain in the industry for years without oversight. Opposition education spokesman Jonno Duniam said "there is no time to waste to put stronger measures in place to protect children in child care". The Greens will move to establish a senate inquiry into the safety and quality of early childhood education when parliament resumes later in August. The nation's education ministers will meet next week to consider further child safety laws for childcare centres. Among the measures being considered are use of CCTV in centres and mandatory child safety training. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 People banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction will be banned in all under fast-tracked reforms to be delivered by the end of the year. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland announced on Friday her state and territory counterparts had committed to a "long overdue" scheme, where different systems across the nation will communicate with each other. "We now have a moment as a country, as a federation, to get this done," she told reporters in Sydney. "Attorneys-general today agreed to toughening the system by ensuring that if you're banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction, you are banned in all of them." Ms Rowland said her counterparts supported accelerating delivery of the reform by the end of the year. "There is a firm commitment from all states and territories to pull out all stops and we are working together as a team," she said. Education Minister Jason Clare also announced compliance action had been initiated against 30 early childhood centres under laws passed by the federal parliament in July. Under the changes, funding will be stripped from centres not meeting safety standards. Calls for a unified system have been growing following multiple reports of abuse in childcare centres. In one case, a Victorian childcare worker was allowed to retain his working with children check and work in the sector despite a major provider substantiating grooming allegations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the reports were shocking and more needed to be done to fix working with children checks. "It's hopeless, and we need to do better, quite clearly, and these revelations are a wake-up call for state and territory governments in terms of the regulations," he told ABC Radio on Friday. "The reports that we've seen recently have shocked parents and (are) every parent's worst nightmare. That's why we are taking action at the national level." Recommendations for a national scheme were made in 2015 as part of a royal commission into child sexual abuse. Ms Rowland acknowledged the reform had not happened quickly enough and had been "let down by successive governments at all levels". "We are here as representatives of the states, territories and Commonwealth to say we're here to make that right, and that is why we are taking decisive action," she said. A NSW parliamentary inquiry on Thursday was told childcare centres were not checking whether staff were allowed to work with children before they were hired. The inquiry was also told banned workers were able to remain in the industry for years without oversight. Opposition education spokesman Jonno Duniam said "there is no time to waste to put stronger measures in place to protect children in child care". The Greens will move to establish a senate inquiry into the safety and quality of early childhood education when parliament resumes later in August. The nation's education ministers will meet next week to consider further child safety laws for childcare centres. Among the measures being considered are use of CCTV in centres and mandatory child safety training. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Sky News AU
‘Failure of leadership': Jacinta Allan accused of putting children ‘at risk' after latest Working With Children Check revelations
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