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A 29-year-old woman accused of killing another motorist whilst speeding and under the influence of a cocktail of drugs has been granted bail after appearing in the Perth Magistrates Court.
Key points:
- Evie Butterworth has been charged over the crash which killed Abbey Sheriff
- She was allegedly driving with three types of drugs in her system
- Police also allege she was driving between 141 and 188kph
Evie Lyn Butterworth was charged by WA police on Thursday over the crash, which happened on the Kwinana Freeway in Baldivis, in Perth's southern suburbs, around 11.35pm on Wednesday, January 11.
Abbey Sheriff was killed in the crash, which is alleged to have happened when the vehicle Ms Butterworth was driving collided with her car.
Ms Butterworth has been charged with driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, and manslaughter.
She was held in custody after her arrest, but successfully applied for bail when she appeared in court hours later.
Accused had allegedly taken three types of drugs
The police prosecutor opposed the bail application, with the court hearing Ms Butterworth is alleged to have been driving between 141 and 188 kilometres per hour before the crash.
It was also alleged she was affected by drugs, including cocaine, cannabis and methamphetamine.
In granting her bail, Magistrate Richard Huston said he was "very mindful" that a fatality had been involved in the alleged offending, which he described as "incredibly tragic".
However, he noted that everyone was entitled to the presumption of innocence, which was a fundamental principle of the justice system.
No attempts to flee: defence lawyer
Ms Butterworth's lawyer also highlighted that the crash dated back to January and her client, who is a single mother, had made no attempts to leave the state.
Magistrate Huston granted bail of $50 000 with a similar surety.
It includes conditions that Ms Butterworth live with her parents, who were sitting in the public gallery, that she regularly reports to police and that she also undergoes urinalysis.
Ms Butterworth is due back in court at the end of the month.
Ms Sheriff's parents have set up a Facebook page called Justice for Abbey Sheriff and in a post her mother revealed the 21-year-old was their only child and came into the world after 10 failed pregnancies.