“There is nothing about [the cyclist’s] behaviour that could provide an explanation as to why she acted the way she did,” Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said.
Kelso said the impact was not at speed, but it left the cyclist with bruising and swelling on his calf.
As the cyclist stopped, Alabaster allegedly began making “racial accusations” and warning him to stay away, revving the car, news.com.au reported.
She “pursued” the victim through the vacant property and he took shelter in residents’ front yards.
“He had fear … he was dry retching,” Kelso said.
Despite this, the court was told the victim had forgiven Alabaster and penned an “extraordinary” victim impact statement saying he wanted to see her “rehabilitated”.
“He might be entitled to feel unmitigated enmity towards you … instead he has made a remarkable request, to me, to show the compassion you denied to him,” Supreme Court Justice Peter Callaghan said.
“He finds no peace in your incarceration.
“It’s one of the most extraordinary documents I’ve seen.”
Police initially charged Alabaster with attempted murder but she pleaded guilty to dangerously operating a motor vehicle, threatening violence at night and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed.
She also admitted to driving without a licence and to five counts of wilful damage.
Alabaster received a sentence of three years in jail but was immediately released on parole after spending more than a year in custody while awaiting her sentence.
She was disqualified from holding a licence for two years.
The Guardian has since reported the cyclist was Abdirashid Farah Abdi who was troubled by the fate of Alabaster.
He rued the time Alabaster spent in prison and worried the incident will define and haunt her for the rest of her life. Mostly, he feared she will be deported.
Now he is seeking to intervene with the immigration department to prevent Alabaster being sent back to the land of her birth under the Australian government’s policy of deporting New Zealanders who have been sentenced to at least a year in prison.
“That would be a travesty of justice,” Abdi said.
“I choose to forgive her, because I believe compassion and forgiveness is justice in itself.
“It’s another form of justice.”
Back in the courtroom this month, news.com.au reported defence barrister Jakub Lodziak said his client had been an alcoholic since her 20s and had experienced “trauma” growing up.
Previous entries on her criminal history frequently involved her being drunk and “behaving poorly” to police, the court was told.
Alabaster’s partner of 15 years and her adult children were in court to support her.
“He is acutely aware of the difficulty alcohol poses for her,” Lodziak said.
Lodziak said she had been receiving mental health treatment during her 13-month stint in pre-sentence custody.
He said Alabaster was remorseful and “embarrassed” as she could not explain her behaviour.
In sentencing Alabaster, Justice Callaghan lashed her for the “uncivilised” and “terrifying” course of conduct towards the innocent victim.
“You turned your vehicle into a weapon and attacked an innocent civilian,” he said.
