Brisbane mother Christie Lee Kennedy avoids jail time after hitting her husband and mistress by car

A woman who hit her then-husband and his lover with her car before assaulting the mistress has narrowly escaped prison.

Christie Lee Kennedy, 38, pleaded guilty in Brisbane court on Monday to dangerously operating a motor vehicle.

She had found her husband David Larkin kissing another woman, Zowie Noring, in the Brisbane suburb of Wavell Heights in March 2021.

Kennedy then drove 150 feet into the street and hit the pair in her BMW SUV, sending them both sprawling onto the bitumen.

She then got out of her car and punched Ms. Noring in the face, calling her a “fat moll” and a “slut” before getting back into the car and driving up the street where she parked and returned to her husband.

A jury last year found Kennedy not guilty of two counts of acting maliciously with intent to incapacitate him.

However, the same jury was unable to reach unanimous or majority verdicts in September on the felony assault charges involving bodily harm to Kennedy.

On Monday, the Crown withdrew the two charges of assault and bodily harm against the mother of two children.

Kennedy had pleaded guilty to common assault at the start of her trial last year after punching Ms. Noring in the face.

The court was told that Kennedy followed her husband to the street after she followed him using the Find My Phone app installed on his phone after he told her he had gone to pick up their children from the nursery.

Kennedy saw the couple “kissing and hugging” and accelerated toward them before slamming on the brakes, the court was told.

Kennedy (left) found her husband David Larkin (right) kissing another woman, Zowie Noring, in the Brisbane suburb of Wavell Heights in March 2021.

“She was driving on the wrong side of the road, she didn’t swerve or move the vehicle, she was driving about 150 feet on the wrong side of the road,” the Crown prosecutor said.

Her vehicle hit both of them with the front of the car. Mr. Larkin was thrown into the air and onto the road.

“Mrs. Noring was also thrown on the road. After hitting Mrs. Noring, (Kennedy) immediately attacked her, showing a lack of remorse for her actions at the time in hitting a person who was on the ground after being hit.”

The Crown argued that Kennedy should be sentenced to three years in prison.

Kennedy’s attorney, Penny White, told the court that her client had no intention of hitting the pair with her car, instead “getting there fast” whenever she chose to accelerate.

“She wanted to reach them and confront them about what was going on,” Ms White said.

“The only reason this happened was because her husband was kissing someone else and she didn’t know it.”

Kennedy (right) was sentenced to nine months in prison, which will serve two years’ probation

Ms White said her client should be put on probation upon sentencing.

“A prison sentence is not within reach for this offense in circumstances where there was no intention to hit them and she used her brakes to stop,” said Ms White.

Judge Paul Smith sentenced Kennedy to nine months in prison for the two offenses, who will serve two years’ probation.

“I think it would be fair to conclude that you would have been quite shocked by what you saw there, despite the suspicions you previously had,” Judge Smith said.

“You are obviously an excellent employee and a very good mother and it is really unfortunate that you committed this offense but I firmly believe that this offense is not in your character and you are unlikely to reoffend with something like this .’

Kennedy (right) was banned from driving for nine months and ordered to pay $5,000 each in damages to her ex-husband and Mrs. Noring

Kennedy was ordered to pay $5,000 each in damages to her ex-husband and Mrs. Noring. She has two weeks to pay the total $10,000 or face a month in jail.

The court heard that the couple was physically and emotionally damaged by the event.

Kennedy was disqualified from driving for nine months.

Convictions were also recorded.