An ice addict who attacked a sleeping mother of two with a claw hammer, leaving her with permanent brain damage and paralysis, admitted to police that she ‘spit’ that the victim had survived, a court heard
Krystal Lee Begg, 30, appeared in Wyong District Court via video link this week where she pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm by wounding with intent to murder Sara-Jane Christensen on the New South Wales coast on July 3 last year.
Emergency services arrived at the public complex in Ourimbah to find a confronting scene. Ms Christensen was found lying on the living room floor with an open wound to her head and ‘her brains were visible’, an agreed set of facts stated.
The court heard that Begg initially denied any involvement in the attack, but after a month in custody he finally confessed to involvement in another home invasion.
Begg told police she was “devastated” that Ms Christensen had survived the attack, which was sparked by the victim sleeping with Begg’s boyfriend a year earlier, which had led to the couple breaking up.
However, Begg told officers that while there was ‘jealousy’ between her and Ms Christensen, they had otherwise remained friends.
However, Begg, who smoked ice every few days, has on three occasions expressed regret to police that she did not kill Mrs Christensen, The Central Coast Advocate reported.
“Well, I had to have a little fun, I had to bash her skull in, right? Spitting it out wasn’t really fair, committed, considering what I was doing it for,” she told officers.
Krystal Lee Begg, 30, has pleaded guilty to the brutal hammer attack on a young mother that left her brain damaged and paralysed
Begg said on another occasion that she was ‘spittin’ that b***h ain’t f**king dead’.
On the night of the attack, Begg, who lived in the same residential complex in Ourimbah, broke into Ms Christensen’s home and attacked her as she slept on the sofa.
After emergency services arrived, Ms Christensen was flown to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition with multiple skull fractures.
She spent the next three months in the hospital, where a titanium plate was placed in place of her shattered skull.
Mrs Christensen still requires 24-hour care and assistance, including a hoist and two helpers to lift her in and out of bed.
Since the attack, she has been unable to walk and often spends time out of bed in a wheelchair.
Sara-Jane Christensen, 35, (pictured above) requires 24-hour care and has been unable to walk since the attack
Mrs. Christensen (pictured after the attack) is now paralyzed on the left side of her body
A Gofundme page Mrs Christensen’s aunt had said at the time that ‘the attack left her paralysed on the left side of her body’.
“She is a strong woman and survived this cowardly attack, but the recovery is still long,” the page reads.
Begg previously pleaded guilty to destruction of property, harassment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in connection with the Wyong home invasion.
She will appear again in Gosford District Court on September 26 to determine a sentence for both cases.