Alisha Fagan: Woman accused of killing a grandfather in crash is released to ‘healing centre’
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A woman who allegedly killed a Melbourne grandfather in a horror crash has been released on bail – and will be free to go shopping and bushwalking at a ‘healing centre’.
Alisha Jane Fagan – who is accused of killing Sedat Hassan while on bail for a string of separate charges that are mostly driving related – has been bailed again after a tearful appearance in front of a magistrate.
Fagan, 22, has been released to a residential healing centre for troubled Indigenous youth.
She will be able to enjoy trips to the cinema and visits to a gym with a sauna and spa.
Wearing rosary beads in court, Fagan was told it was almost inevitable that a catastrophic event would occur due to her driving.
Alisha Fagan (pictured), is facing a string of charges after her Audi allegedly ploughed into Sedat Hassan’s Honda in Sunshine West, Melbourne
Mr Hassan (pictured) died of injuries sustained in the crash, with Fagan’s three passengers allegedly fleeing the scene in a decision slammed as a ‘bastard act’ by police
It is alleged Fagan was driving at a speed of at least 78km/h in a 50km/h zone when she crashed her black Audi into Mr Hassan’s Honda in western Melbourne suburb Sunshine West on June 9 this year.
She denies being the driver, but DNA on the driver’s side airbag is a match to her with a probability of one to 100 billion, Magistrate John Hardy was told.
The charge of dangerous driving causing death is the 14th matter Fagan currently has before the courts. She was on four bail orders at the time of the crash.
Charges include driving while suspended, speeding up to 150km/h and being pursued by police, Detective Senior Constable Jason Barry-Bassett said.
During one incident it’s alleged Fagan drove over police speed sticks and continued with one tyre detached from the wheel rim.
With that alleged history it was ‘almost inevitable’ something tragic would occur, Mr Hardy said.
‘The real worry I had, and have, is that she has some kind of psychological addiction to driving cars, even when she knows she shouldn’t be,’ he said.
Fagan had been held in custody at Melbourne’s women’s prison, the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, since June.
Members of Mr Hassan’s family also watched the hearing by videolink.
In objecting to bail, their primary concern was that what happened to their father and grandfather would happen to someone else, prosecutor Daniel White said.
‘As your honour has already indicated, this was inevitable,’ he said.
In a previous appearance, Fagan lashed out in court, screaming, crying and insisting she ‘tried to help him’.
Fagan’s black Audi (pictured) allegedly ploughed into Mr Hassan’s Honda, which caused fatal injuries for the beloved grandfather
Fagan, 22, has been bailed to a residential healing centre for troubled indigenous youth
During a two-hour hearing in June, Fagan wailed and cried as the horror details of the crash were read out, with her lawyer concerned for her welfare. Pictured is the crash scene
Her three passengers allegedly fled the scene in what police later described as a ‘bastard act’.
During the two-hour hearing in June, Fagan wailed as details of the crash were read out, as her lawyer noted concern for her welfare.
‘I tried to help him… I couldn’t help him,’ she screamed. ‘How do I get it out of my head?
‘I cannot stop thinking about it. Every time I try to sleep I just see him. I tried to help him, I tried to help him.’
Fagan was the only person involved in the crash to wait behind and render assistance to the dying grandfather, police claim.
Detective Sergeant Stephen Hill said other occupants in her car were ‘cowardly’ to ‘run away from the scene’.
‘If they had have remained… instead of running away, they may have been able to save him,’ he said.
‘The law says you need to stop and you need to help because you have a real chance of saving someone’s life.
‘It’s a real bastard act to leave a person dying on the side of the road as a result of a collision you’ve been involved in.’
Mr Hassan’s family objected to Alisha Jane Fagan, who is accused of killing him, being freed on bail
Fagan was charged with dangerous driving causing death, possessing a controlled weapon, possessing a drug of dependence and breaching bail, among other charges.
Her lawyer said the 22-year-old has chronic depression and borderline personality disorder, and has threatened to self harm.
Detective Senior Constable Barry Bassett said she has a ‘blanket disregard for the law’.
Her traffic record was read to the court, with police saying she was an ‘extreme risk’ to the public.
‘I’ve got a very, very concerning bundle of matters (she’s) picked up over the last 15 months,’ the magistrate said.
‘This all smacks of a young person who is completely out of control. I am really left in a situation where I have huge concerns about what’s going on with her.’
Ms Fagan’s family sat at the back of the court to offer support. At one stage, her father was seen consoling her.