The dangerous driver of the stolen Jeep Wrangler that caused havoc against an ACT prison car to free her then fiancé in mid-2021 did so in retaliation to police and to gain physical affection from her partner, a court has heard.
Lila Rose Mary Walto, 29, told the author of her pre-sentence report that she went on the rampage to free sentenced prisoner Kane Quinn because police allegedly refused to help her, the ACT Supreme Court heard on Monday when she was sentenced to nearly seven years' jail.
Walto alleged the refusal came after she went through the proper process in reporting her ex-partner's domestic violence, which resulted in her children being removed.
The author said the offender's explanation for the rescue of the prisoner, with whom Walto is no longer in a relationship, was "in retaliation to police and because she wanted physical affection from her partner".
The court heard Walto, whose criminal history includes dishonesty and assault, stole the Jeep from a Fyshwick dealer on the morning of July 9 last year before her drug-and-alcohol-affected incident with Quinn that afternoon.
On that day, three prison officers took Quinn in an ACT Corrective Services' Toyota Camry to hospital after he claimed to have swallowed a battery.
On their way, the Jeep chased and rammed the Camry numerous times, including making it spin out of control and hitting it on the driver's side.
During the incident, Quinn said "I don't want to get shot ... don't give me the f--k over".
When the prison officers and Quinn finally exited the car in Griffith, the latter started to run away, yelling "let me f--king go" before jumping into the Jeep.
The pair, who had planned the rescue the day before, were arrested at a Lyneham house within hours with Walto exiting the residence after a short negotiation.
Police heard noises in the premises' roof and heard Quinn saying "I am not coming out until I have smoked all my drugs".
After prolonged negotiations, Quinn, still wearing his wrist restraints from jail, exited the front door.
Police obtained two telephone calls between Walto and Quinn recorded at the jail on the morning of the incident.
Walto told him "yeah, baby, everything is ready for me and your mum to have dinner tonight".
During a police interview, Walto said she was planning to run away with Quinn to start a new life together, but she has since admitted that was unrealistic.
The prison officers in the Camry sustained injuries, including bruises, a forehead abrasion, a bulging disc and a delayed concussion.
Walto in May pleaded guilty to nine charges, including using force to rescue a person in lawful custody, dangerous driving, assaulting frontline officers, and assault occasioning bodily harm.
She appeared in court on Monday when Justice David Mossop sentenced her to about six years and eight months in jail.
Justice Mossop said her motivation and "thought processes associated with the offending are at best confusing and at worst disturbing".
He said even though it could not be established beyond reasonable doubt that she planned to chase and ram the prison car as much as she did, she still committed "persistent violence over a substantial period".
"Other offences committed at the time put the public at risk," he said.
Justice Mossop said her plan involved "a lack of consequential thinking" and that her "goal of uniting with her boyfriend, regaining her children and having a happy life was never going to occur".
He said that while sentencing principles - including deterrence and denunciation - needed to be met, a shorter-than-usual non-parole period was also needed to allow a substantial period of supervision in the community to stabilise her life.
The jail term for Walto is backdated to July 2021 to account for her time served in pre-sentence custody.
With a non-parole period of 32 months, she will be eligible for release in March 2024.
Justice Mossop also made a reparation order of $48,058 for the dealership.
Walto last week gave evidence she expected to hit the prison car only once to achieve her goal.
Quinn, who is also known as Kane McDowall, has pleaded guilty to one charge of escaping from lawful custody. He is set to face court again in September.
