Major update after husband allegedly murdered his ex-wife in car crash that left him disabled

A man accused of killing his ex-wife by driving her car off a country road at high speed has appeared in court for the first time since the crash that left him disabled.

Troy Armstrong, 36, is accused of murdering his ex-wife, Kristy Armstrong, when he allegedly drove towards her sedan at 140km/h in Molong in central west NSW on June 9 last year.

He also faces two charges of attempted murder in connection with passengers in the sedan – who were left with minor injuries – and three charges of breaching apprehended violence orders.

Armstrong has not entered any pleas and will appear for a hearing in July.

Magistrate David Day asked on Thursday whether Armstrong, who is being held on remand at Long Bay Hospital, would be fit to attend the hearing via audiovisual link.

“He is fit to appear,” Armstrong’s lawyer Drew Hamilton told Orange Local Court during the brief mention.

“It’ll take some effort to get him into the AVL suite, but he can appear.”

Day set the hearing date and asked Armstrong to appear from custody. It will be the first time he has appeared in court after being seriously injured in the crash.

“It will take some effort to get him into the AVL suite, but he can appear,” he said.

It is alleged that Armstrong ran his former partner’s car off a country road by driving his car towards her sedan at 90mph.

Mr Day set the date for the hearing and asked Armstrong to appear from custody in what would be his first appearance in court since he was seriously injured.

It will be his first court appearance after being seriously injured in the June 9 crash.

In the months that followed, Armstrong was under 24-hour surveillance in the intensive care unit of Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital with serious brain and spinal injuries.

During a failed bail application last year, Hamilton told the court that Armstrong posed little risk to the community because part of his skull had been removed and he could no longer walk.

Police prosecutor Carl Smith described Armstrong as “an extremely dangerous individual” who left surviving victims in fear despite his injuries.

“(They) were terrified before this incident, they are even more terrified now,” Sergeant Smith told the earlier hearing.

“He knew that if he hit a car at 90 miles per hour, there was a good chance he would kill his wife, but (also) kill anyone else in that motor vehicle.”

Troy Armstrong (pictured right with his ex-wife Kristy) will face a hearing in July

It took a year for the case to be concluded, partly because the cars were sent to the US for specialist forensic examination.

Ms Armstrong was one of several women remembered at a meeting on gender-based violence in Orange last month.

Her family and friends have attended every court appearance since Armstrong’s arrest, wearing purple in her honor.

Armstrong’s case will go to trial on July 11.