New details have emerged about the death of a grandmother who was hit by a car in her own home, as her killer claims she should be found ‘not mentally responsible’ for the tragedy.
Batoul Sleibi El Dirani, 30, faced a special hearing at the Penrith District Court on Monday over the high-speed crash that killed Robyn Figg, 62, as she slept at her St Mary’s home, in Sydney’s west, on 8 October 2022.
El Dirani was traveling at up to 40mph over the speed limit with a baby in the backseat when her Jeep Grand Cherokee plowed through the Monfarville St property.
She fled the scene with the baby before being arrested and taken to a mental health facility. During the process, she also assaulted two police officers.
El Dirani was subsequently charged with aggravated dangerous driving causing death, negligent driving causing death, failing to stop and assist, and two counts of assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty.
She pleaded not guilty Monday to all mental illness charges.
It came as the court was given new details about the scene first responders faced as they fought to save Ms Figg’s life.
Batoul Sleibi El Dirani, 30, was traveling at up to 40mph over the speed limit with a baby in the backseat when her Jeep Grand Cherokee plowed through St Mary’s home in western Sydney on October 8, 2022.
The court heard Ms Figg was asleep when El Dirani, who was traveling between 70mph and 70mph in a 50mph zone, failed to turn after coming to a T-junction.
The car collided with a tree, a bicycle and a street sign outside Mrs Figg’s house before crashing into the front wall and plowing through into the rear bedroom.
Crown prosecutor Cassandra Hurford said Ms Figg, who was sleeping in the rear bedroom, was ‘thrown over a fence and into an adjacent property’.
Emergency services frantically performed CPR but despite their efforts, Mrs Figg died at the scene.
Ms Hurford said El Dirani was observed by ‘a number of witnesses’ behaving erratically as she left the scene, carrying her five-month-old baby.
“She was later found by police driving east on Carpenter St,” she said.
“Police noticed her making strange comments, including whose baby it was and if it was her baby.”
Robyn Figg, 62, who died during the incident, is pictured with her granddaughter Grace
El Dirani’s car is said to have shot all the way through the house in the residential street around 5:20 am on October 8, 2022 (above)
Ms Hurford said that as a result of her ‘unusual and erratic’ behaviour, El Dirani was taken to Nepean Hospital where she was given an involuntary mental health order.
Meanwhile, police officers at the scene spoke to El Dirani’s husband, who said he had woken up that morning to find his wife, the baby and the house keys missing.
Ms Hurford said El Dirani’s husband had been concerned about her mental state in the weeks leading up to the crash.
‘He [also] advised hospital staff of the suspect’s mental state at the time of the collision,” Ms Hurford told the court.
‘He had sought medical help by taking her to a GP and was in the process of having her assessed by a psychiatrist, but that did not happen because it [that appointment] used to be [scheduled for] a few days after the collision.
El Dirani’s lawyer, James Trevallion, told the court it was admitted his client committed the acts that killed Ms Figg.
However, because of her mental illness, he said her case should be treated as a mental health incident – an argument the prosecutor agreed with.
The court heard two psychiatric reports – prepared by one expert on behalf of the Crown and one expert acting on behalf of the defense – and both concluded that El Dirani was suffering from a mental disability at the time of the crash.
Pictured: The Figg family last Christmas – Robyn’s daughter Daisy and her partner Ian (far left), Mrs Figg (centre back) and her mother Betty (centre front), son Josh, his wife Liz, their daughter Grace (right)
Judge Miiko Kumar said both experts appeared to agree that El Dirani was suffering from psychosis at the time of the crash, although their diagnostic terms differed.
Ms Kumar noted that Dr Adam Martin found for the Crown that El Dirani suffered from schizophrenia, possibly caused by post-natal depression, while Dr Allnutt for the defense diagnosed her symptoms under chronic adjustment disorder.
Ms Hurford said the Crown requested El Dirani’s parole and referral to the mental health tribunal, with Dr Martin noting there was a risk her condition would recur.
She noted that El Dirani was treated with medication in hospital shortly after the crash and that a second type of medication was effective.
Ms Kumar said that given the evidence, she would likely proceed with El Dirani’s case under the Mental Health Act. She will give her judgment on the case at Penrith District Court at 10am on Tuesday.
During the hearing, El Dirani nervously played with a clasp on her bag as she sat next to her husband and an Arabic interpreter.
Once it was over, her husband protectively led her out of the courtroom and away from reporters waiting outside as they headed to a nearby parking lot.