The family of a Perth schoolgirl who was run over by a unlicensed Pakistani immigrant who then fled the scene are furious after her sentencing was delayed by a psychological report claiming the driver is intellectually disabled.
Tahira Shaheen, 51, was due to be sentenced in the District Court of Western Australian on Tuesday, but Judge Laura Christian said she could not accept the assessment, which stated Shaheen has the verbal abilities of a 10-year-old and the non-verbal skills of a six-year-old.
Judge Christian said the report was “unreconcilable” with the fact that Shaheen completed two years of college in Pakistan and has since obtained a full driver’s licence, saying: “It’s not adding up, sorry.”
“I have great difficulty in accepting what’s in this report.”
She also noted that the verbal test was conducted in English, which was not Shaheen’s native language, and ordered a new neuropsychological report and adjourned sentencing to October 17, The West Australian reported.
Outside court the victim’s furious mother Tory Carter said her daughter Alexis Lloyd was still in pain almost two years after the 2023 crash, which took place at a pedestrian crossing outside Willetton Senior High School during morning drop-off.
Alexis suffered a broken leg and collarbone, and was too distraught to attend court, Nine News reported.
Ms Carter described the sentencing delay as a “joke”, and revealed the family found out just four days earlier that Shaheen was claiming intellectual disability, and was not convinced by the report.
“She’s been granted a full driver’s licence since the incident,” she said.
“It’s a stalling tactic and it’s not fair.”
Shaheen hid from police for two months before being tracked down and charged with failing to stop and ensure assistance after an incident causing grievous bodily harm, and failing to alert police. She will also face a charge of no authority to drive (never held) on her new sentencing date.
When asked outside court if she intended to apologise, Shaheen said: “Yes, of course, I am mother, I am woman. I am not an angel. I am a human.I am not doing it intentionally, it was an accident.”
Header image: Left, Tahira Shaheen. Right, Alexis Lloyd after the crash (Nine News).
