Diane Shelese Williams, 18, charged with 16yo brother’s death following Mandurah Road crash in January

A WA woman charged with killing her younger brother allegedly had a cocktail of drugs in her system and was seen sucking gas from a balloon minutes before she was involved in the fatal crash. Diane Shelese Williams had to be wheeled into Mandurah Magistrates Court on Tuesday as she’s still recovering from her own injuries received on January 18, when she allegedly killed 16-year-old Dinny Williams in a car accident on Mandurah Road. Just two years older than her brother, Ms Williams listened as prosecutors set out what they claim happened that night. Constable Luke Ford told the court Ms Williams, her brother Dinny and his older twin cousins were at the Mandurah 7/11 about 9.49pm on a Sunday. It’s claimed Ms Williams, who has never had a licence, was sucking an unknown gas from a yellow balloon before getting into the Chrysler’s driver’s seat. Blood tests revealed Ms Williams allegedly had traces of methamphetamine, amphetamine and THC (cannabis) in her system when she got behind the wheel. One cousin took the front passenger seat, another the driver’s-side passenger seat, and Dinny climbed in on the opposite side. The group were spotted soon after on Coolibah Avenue, parked on the wrong side of the road, by a marked police car. “The police vehicle pulled up next to the Chrysler, facing the same direction to engage the occupants due to incorrect parking,” Cons. Ford said. “Police activated the emergency lights for safety as the road was blocked. “(The accused) reacted to the activation of the police lights and accelerated at speed, driving on the incorrect side of the road. “The police vehicle followed the accused, trying to catch up to them, but the accused failed to stop. “The accused was travelling at speeds in excess of 100kms an hour… police made a conscious decision not to pursue the vehicle further due to its erratic manner of driving, which presented an elevated risk to the members of the public, and continued to their assigned job.” About an hour later, Dinny was dead. “At 10.06pm, the accused breached the intersection, driving into the path of a silver Ford Falcon which was turning right (with the green arrow) from Pinjarra Road to go south on Mandurah Road,” Cons. Ford said. Expert estimates put the Chrysler’s speed at 110km/h when it entered the intersection. “The Ford Falcon clipped the rear side of the Chrysler, and the accused lost control,” Cons. Ford added. “The Chrysler skidded for some distance and left the sealed road surface on the westerly side, colliding head-on with a tree. “The Chrysler’s engine area caught fire as a result of the impact. “The accused was pulled from the driver’s seat by witnesses, who then helped the other occupants from the Chrysler before the vehicle was fully engulfed by flames and incinerated.” Outside the car, young Dinny was unable to bear weight on his left leg and was holding his stomach area. St John WA officers arrived and decided to take the critically injured by ambulance to Peel Health Campus. Dinny suffered a cardiac arrest, but paramedics were able to stabilise the boy. In the short drive to Peel Health Campus, Dinny had another fatal arrest and was declared dead by 11.29pm at the hospital. The boy had a fractured femur and significant internal bleeding. Months later, Dinny’s body is still held by the State Coroner, and the family is yet to have a funeral. Ms Williams didn’t appear to react as the details were revealed in court on Tuesday afternoon. The 18-year-old failed to appear earlier that day, and Magistrate Claire Cullen had issued a warrant for her arrest. Sensationally, after lunch, Ms Williams arrived at court propped up in a wheelchair, due to two broken legs and a broken hip, to face the charges. The teen couldn’t approach the bar table and had to address the court from the back of the room. The 18-year-old wasn’t required to plead to charges of unlawfully killing another under such circumstances as not to constitute murder, reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, no authority to drive, driver of a vehicle failed to comply with a direction to stop in circumstances of aggravation and driving with a prescribed illicit drug in oral fluid or blood which were read out to her by Magistrate Clair Cullen. Cons. Ford told the court he would be opposing bail after Ms Williams failed to appear that morning. The case was adjourned, and the court’s duty lawyers began frantically trying to reach Ms Williams lawyer, Simon Frietag, so he could make a bail application ensuring the teen wouldn’t have to spend the night behind bars. Earlier that day, Mr Frietag had been in a Perth court defending Liam Alexander Hall, 32, who is accused of throwing a homemade explosive at an Australia Day rally. Finally, the prominent lawyer was on the phone, and the bail hearing was ready to proceed. Magistrate Cullen noted the unusual order of events. Generally, in manslaughter and murder cases, the accused would be charged, taken into custody, and a bail application would be made from prison. Instead, a summons for Ms Williams to appear in court was sent to Mr Frietag, and the teen was allowed to go home. “As you’re aware, this matter has proceeded in somewhat of an unusual basis for a manslaughter charge; it’s very rare that a manslaughter charge is brought on a summons,” Ms Cullen said. Ms Williams was on a ventilator with serious injuries at Royal Perth Hospital for some time after the crash. Mr Frietag explained that he thought it was more useful if the police served him with her summons, “rather than going to the hospital, as that might potentially interrupt her treatment.” “I am assuming the police have taken a degree of merciful approach to this, because, of course, the deceased is her brother, and that’s caused a very difficult set of circumstances for the family who are grieving the loss of Dinny Jr,” Mr Frietag said. During the bail application, Mr Frietag revealed a chaotic home life, saying he had to personally wake Ms Williams’ mother that morning to remind her to take the girl to court. The lawyer said he knew the family after representing patriarch Dinny Williams’ Sr in the past, who was recently serving “significant time” in custody. There were also protective bail conditions between the parents and restraining orders. “I don’t know how much time Diane was willing to spend at home; she always had to deal with those bigger issues, and it would be a surprise if they weren’t an influence,” Mr Frietag said. Police opposed bail after Ms Williams failed to appear. Cons. Ford explained she had only been released on summons due to her injuries and issues with the family at the hospital he didn’t want to share with media reporting. If bail were approved, it would have to be under strict conditions, Cons. Ford added, including no contact with the cousins who were witnesses to the crash and a significant financial surety. Mr Frietag said Ms Williams’ mother did not have the financial means to provide a surety. “It seems that up until today, Miss Williams was within the community, and there weren’t that many concerns,” Ms Cullen said. “The prosecution now rightly raised the issue of whether or not Miss Williams can be relied upon to attend court. “Miss Williams is a very young person; she relies, almost wholly, it seems, on her mother to drive her places, and her mother is suffering some hardship due to family issues and the loss of Dinny during the alleged offending. “I do have regard to the fact that the offence is very serious, in fact, you do not get an offence much more serious other than murder, and I do find the prosecution has said it’s a strong case, and if convicted, imprisonment is a high likelihood. “At the same time, she’s in the community waiting for the funeral of Dinny, which is yet to occur, and that’s something that is of some importance to her. “I do find that in this case, bail falls in her favour.” Ms Williams was released to reside at her mother’s home in Hilton, with a curfew of 6pm to 6am and a $2000 personal undertaking, ordered to take part in urinalysis, to remain 25 metres away from her cousins, and not leave Western Australia. Ms Williams is due to appear again on April 7.