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AS police vehicles chased Rhiannon Lee Aylward’s car down the F3 near Newcastle, she made a terrifying call to triple 0, warning she and the car’s driver, her partner Solomon Suilai, were going to start ‘‘blowing sh-t up’’.
During the 20 minute call, a panicked Aylward repeatedly threatened police pursuing their vehicle.
‘‘‘I need you to tell them to back off, otherwise there is explosives and f---ing guns and everything in the car and we’re going to go off our f---in’ head all right,’’ she told the operator.
‘‘We’re gonna f---in’ start blowin’ sh-t up and f--ing kill the lot of them.’’
The dangerous pursuit had taken a turn for the worse minutes earlier when police shot at the couple’s car after Suilai rammed a police vehicle before he turned the car on two officers, forcing them to leap off the bonnet to safety.
Aylward was given a six month suspended jail term today for her part in the dramatic chase.
Giving evidence, the 23-year-old told Wollongong District Court she could not recall much of the incident.
‘‘In the circumstances, with panic and anxiety, I just wasn’t thinking clearly,’’ she said.
‘‘I don’t really remember much of it ... I had just been shot at, I thought we were going to be killed, I was in fear for my life.’’
Suilai, who was sentenced to a minimum 15 months’ jail over the chase, was high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol when he and Aylward started driving down Thomas Street, Wallsend, just before 10pm on September 8, 2011.
Officers started pursuing the car as two other police vehicles arrived and joined in the chase.
Suilai hit one of the cars before he drove forward, causing two officers to push themselves off the bonnet to avoid being hit.
An officer then fired at the car as it drove past, the court was told.
Suilai then led officers onto the F3 while Aylward called 000 from the passenger seat.
During the lengthy call, she repeatedly threatened to seriously harm police, warning at one stage: ‘‘OK, right they shot at us ... so you tell them to back the f--- off otherwise that’s what we’re gonna do.’’
Eventually, Suilai failed to negotiate a roundabout near Westfield Tuggerah, and the pair were arrested.
The court was told that Aylward, who pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to threaten serious injury, was remorseful for her actions and was keen to wean herself off drugs and finish her TAFE course.
Judge Deborah Payne also ordered Aylward to comply with probation and parole supervision.
