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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Nick Bielby

Sentence date over city road rage ordeal

WARNING: This report contains uncensored coarse language

A woman who went on a rampage in a ute last year, ramming other vehicles at Newcastle West after a dispute with a man, will be sentenced next month.

According to a statement of police facts tendered to Newcastle Local Court, Kristianne Francis Bycroft had been involved in an argument over money with a man at the KFC carpark on Steel Street about 6.15am on November 13 when the man climbed into a Holden Barina and drove away.

Court documents said Bycroft got into a Ford ute and pursued him from the carpark onto Honeysuckle Drive, where she rammed the Barina for the first time.

The 29-year-old then continued to follow the man onto Stewart Avenue and King Street - the ute colliding with the back of the small car several times.

The chase found its way to National Park Street and onto Hunter Street, where Bycroft rammed the Barina with such force the man lost control of the small car - another collision disabled the vehicle.

The ute pushed its way through several cars

According to the police facts, the man got out of the car and approached the ute.

He reached into the vehicle through the driver's side window in an attempt to take the keys from the ignition, but Bycroft closed the window on his arm, briefly trapping it.

After he pulled his arm free, the man stood in front of the ute before Bycroft hit him with the vehicle, inflicting minor injuries.

Court documents said she tried to drive away from the scene, but became stuck behind traffic at a red light at the Stewart Avenue intersection.

Bycroft drove the ute into the vehicles in front of her, pushing them out of the way before tee-boning a Mazda in the intersection.

She also narrowly missed pedestrians who had come onto the road in an effort to stop her.

Bycroft managed to flee the scene and parked the vehicle in the driveway of a King Street unit complex.

She was arrested at home later that morning - police also found a small amount of cannabis in her handbag.

Bycroft was charged with one count each of predatory driving, using an offensive weapon with the intent to commit an indictable offence, reckless driving, not giving particulars to the other driver and possessing a prohibited drug.

In court on Monday, when she was initially scheduled to be sentenced over the wild display of road rage, her defence lawyer asked for an adjournment to allow for a psychological report to be obtained.

Magistrate Janine Lacy agreed but said there would be no further adjournments.

Bycroft, who remains in custody, will be sentenced on April 30.

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