Sharon Gordon pleads guilty over Bruny Island, Tasmania crash at New Year’s Eve party in December

A woman who had a drunken brawl with her partner told police she was “a little pissed off” after she crashed a New Year’s Eve party and smashed her van into three people, a court has heard.

Elizabeth Jedamzik, Peter Kirk-Williams and Dominique La Fontaine were celebrating New Year’s Eve on a Tasmanian farm in 2021 when they were hit by the motor home.

The driver, Sharon Louise Gordon, was invited to Mrs Jedamzik’s party on December 31 at her farm on Bruny Island, south of Hobart, but was told to leave after getting into a drunken row with her husband .

Gordon appeared before the Hobart High Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving resulting in grievous bodily harm.

The court heard the 60-year-old returned to the party after being ordered to leave, smashing her motor home through the gate, which had been closed to prevent her from entering the premises.

The court was shown CCTV footage of a Tasmanian police officer arriving at the scene.

The officer approached Gordon, who was lying on the ground meters from the crashed van, and asked ‘what are you doing down here in the grass?’

“I’m a little pissed off… I hit the accelerator and I f***** up,” Gordon replied in the footage shown in court.

In a statement to the court read by her husband Karl, Ms Jedamzik ​​said she was reminded of the traumatizing ordeal every day of her life.

“So many people have been traumatized by what happened, the people staying on the farm, my husband Karl – and the first responder,” Ms Jedamzik ​​told the court, as reported by the ABC.

“The memory of what happened is with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

The Crown Prosecutor said Gordon had started drinking on the ferry to Bruny Island and that she and her partner planned to stay the night in their van on the property.

The court also heard that Gordon’s driver’s license had been revoked four times for drunk driving, as she had struggled with binge drinking for decades.

Gordon reportedly became belligerent and aggressive towards other guests after drinking eight beers, a can of bourbon and nearly an entire bottle of wine throughout the night.

The court heard that after arguing with her partner, Gordon was told to go back to the motorhome, where she started the vehicle and drove off the premises – despite not having a driver’s license due to a previous alcohol-related traffic violation.

The Victorian couple, Mr. Kirk-Williams and Mrs. La Fontaine, arrived at the property in a LandCruiser shortly after Gordon left and were welcomed at the front door by Mrs. Jedamzik.

Gordon returned to the grounds and accelerated as she approached the gate, the court heard.

She crashed into the driver’s side of the LandCruiser, sending Mr. Kirk-Williams catapulting over the hood.

The camper continued through the locked gate and collided with Ms. La Fontaine and Ms. Jedamzik ​​before coming to rest in a ditch next to the driveway, the court heard.

Ms Jedamzik ​​suffered serious injuries from the crash, including three broken teeth, several broken ribs and also lost the skin on her left lower leg – an injury described as ‘discharge’.

The court heard that Ms. Jedamzik ​​cannot walk independently, which has had a major impact on her quality of life.

“I feel like I just exist and wait to get better… I’m not happy anymore,” Ms Jedamzik ​​said in the statement read out by her husband.

“I want to have a resemblance to my life before.

“I’m determined to walk unassisted…I know I’ll never run or climb, but I want to be able to walk.”

Mr. Kirk-Williams also suffered serious knee and pelvic injuries, which have affected his daily life.

“Simple tasks, such as putting on shoes or socks, now required a great deal of effort,” he told the court.

Ms La Fontaine told the court that the accident significantly affected her financially and professionally.

“I suffered a financial loss, the loss of essentially a year of work affected my career path,” Ms La Fontaine told the court.

The couple also had to give away their dog because they could no longer care for the beloved family pet.

Gordon was arrested hours after the accident and given a breath test.

Her blood alcohol level was estimated to be between 0.184 and 0.189 at the time of the accident.

Her attorney told the court she was disgusted, embarrassed and ashamed and that she could not remember the crash but realized she was responsible when police escorted her from the scene.

Gordon is in custody and will appear before the Hobart High Court next week for his sentencing.