A South Hedland woman who ran down her defenceless partner while he was riding his mobility scooter has been jailed for 14 years over his murder.
Key points:
- Joanne Nundle was found guilty of murder after driving into partner who was in a mobility scooter on the footpath
- In sentencing, Justice Samuel Vandongen said using her car as a weapon against a defenceless human was a “gross overreaction”
- With time already served, she will be eligible for parole in 2034
WARNING: This story contains content that readers may find distressing.
Joanne Alexie Nundle, 35, will be eligible for parole in 2034, after a jury found her guilty of murdering her partner William John Dunstan.
Nundle smashed her blue Commodore into the front of Mr Dunstan’s scooter while he was sitting on the footpath near their home on Kennedy Street, South Hedland shortly before 10pm on July 6, 2020.
Mr Dunstan was flung from the scooter and landed on the road, suffering from internal injuries. He died later that night.
Nundle was also Mr Dunstan’s full-time carer as one of his legs was amputated.
Gross overreaction
During sentencing in the WA Supreme Court today, Justice Samuel Vandongen said Nundle’s use of the car as a weapon against a defenceless human was a “gross overreaction” to the circumstances of the evening.
“Your deliberate actions, done with an intent to cause Mr Dunstan very serious injuries, cut short the life of another human being,” Justice Vandongen said.
“The last few moments of his life would have been frightening and painful.”
Nundle and Mr Dunstan had been in a difficult relationship for a number of years, in which they both abused alcohol.
Justice Vandongen said it came to a head on July 6 when Mr Dunstan decided he didn’t want Nundle living at his house anymore.
An argument at their home escalated to the point where Mr Dunstan assaulted Nundle, causing injuries to the back of her head.
After the argument, Mr Dunstan left the house on his mobility scooter.
Nundle got in her car a short time later.
“You were angry and you were upset,” Justice Vandongen said.
“When you saw Mr Dunstan on the footpath on the scooter you veered towards him, you mounted the kerb.”
Victim shouted for help
The court heard that Nundle drove 70 metres down the road after hitting Mr Dunstan.
CCTV footage shown at the trial in South Hedland late last year recorded the “chilling” sounds of him shouting out for help after being struck down, Justice Vandongen said.
Nundle’s lawyer Anthony Elliott said there was a background of domestic violence, including emotional and financial abuse, and a much greater history of deprivation in Nundle’s life.
The prosecution, represented by Benjamin Stanwix, said the state’s position was that Nundle had acted out of anger and in retaliation to what had happened at the house, rather than out of fear of Mr Dunstan.
However, Justice Vandongen noted that Nundle said she did not remember what happened.
Nundle has been in custody since the incident in 2020 and was tried by a jury in South Hedland late last year after pleading not guilty to the murder charge.
Justice Vandongen sentenced her to life imprisonment from the time she entered custody, with a minimum term of 14 years.