Cheeseball murder accused blames shoes
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A Sydney court has heard that a woman accused of deliberately mowing down a man and killing him blamed her shoes for the way she was driving.
Sarah May Ward, 38, is charged with the murder of 21-year-old Eli Westlake at Saint Leonards, in north Sydney, in June last year.
Her committal hearing has been told that Mr Westlake was with a group of friends when he threw cheese-and-bacon balls at Ward's car during a confrontation in the early hours of the morning.
The prosecutor told the court that Ward said, "I've had it with them," and drove her car towards Mr Westlake, with its wheels screeching and motor revving.
The car hit the 21-year-old but he jumped out of the way. It reversed and drove towards Mr Westlake again.
This time, he was pinned under the car, which crashed down a stairwell and killed him.
A witness described Ward as a "psycho" at the time of the confrontation.
The court heard the accused had drunk two bottles of wine and had taken cannabis, ecstasy and valium before getting behind the wheel.
Ward told police she had been attacked, that she was trying to leave the street and did not intend to hurt anyone.
The woman said a passenger in the car had tried to wrest control of the steering wheel from her.
She blamed the shoes she was wearing at the time for the way she was driving.
When questioned by the defence barrister, the victim's brother, Joel Westlake, denied beating or tearing the clothes off a man who was a passenger in the car at the time.
He is one of five witnesses to give evidence at the hearing.
The hearing continues.
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