A woman was in a "highly disordered mental state" when fleeing the scene of an accident after her speeding SUV slammed into a western Sydney home, killing the occupant, a court has heard.
Robyn Oxley was asleep in her St Marys residence when a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Batoul Sleibi El Dirani barrelled through the front of the home on October 8, 2022.
The force of the impact threw the grandmother out of bed, through her back window and over a fence.
She was found in a neighbour's backyard by police, who unsuccessfully tried to revive her.
El Dirani had a five-month-old baby in her car as she travelled at up to 115km/h down a road with a 50km/h speed limit, Penrith District Court heard on Monday.
The 30-year-old's SUV did not stop or turn at a T-intersection, instead travelling straight and slamming into the gutter, the court was told.
It hit a tree and then ploughed into Ms Oxley's home after speeding through the front yard.
"The vehicle essentially travelled through the front wall of the house, through the front bedroom and continued through the house to the rear bedroom where the deceased Robyn Oxley was sleeping," crown prosecutor Cassandra Hurford said.
El Dirani is accused of grabbing the baby from her car and fleeing the scene, walking down the road before she was intercepted by police.
"As a result of her unusual and erratic behaviour, she was ultimately conveyed to Nepean Hospital, where she was scheduled involuntarily," Ms Hurford said.
After taking anti-psychotic medication, El Dirani was discharged in a stable condition and put under the care of her husband, the court heard.
On Monday, Judge Miiko Kumar heard prosecution and defence lawyers had agreed the 30-year-old had a mental health impairment at the time of the crash.
Aided by an Arabic interpreter and supported by her husband in court, El Dirani pleaded not guilty to one charge of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death while driving more than 45km/h over the speed limit.
She also pleaded not guilty to two back-up charges of dangerous driving occasioning death and failing to stop and render assistance after a fatal accident.
The pleas were met with scoffs in the courtroom from Ms Oxley's family.
Judge Kumar was asked to deliver a special verdict, under which the details of the case were proven but El Dirani would not be held criminally responsible.
Ms Hurford told the court evidence from two psychiatrists supported this proposed verdict based on observations of the young wife in the lead-up to the collision and in its aftermath.
"She did not know the act was wrong because of her highly disordered mental state at the time," she said.
El Dirani was either showing symptoms of chronic adjustment disorder with depressive mood and a differential diagnosis of PTSD, or had a major depressive illness with psychotic features, Judge Kumar heard.
Defence barrister James Trevallion conceded his client voluntarily caused the collision.
El Dirani did not say anything to reporters as she and her husband left the court.
Judge Kumar will deliver her decision on Tuesday.
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