A Maddington woman has been sentenced to 16 months behind bars for a hit-and-run incident that left a 12-year-old girl with serious injuries outside her Perth school.
The Incident That Shocked a Community
Alexis Lloyd, then aged 12, was struck by a vehicle while using a pedestrian crossing outside Willetton Senior High School in June 2023. The young victim suffered a broken leg and collarbone in the collision, requiring five nights in hospital and weeks confined to a wheelchair during her recovery.
Police investigations revealed that 52-year-old Tahira Shaheen, a learner driver from Maddington, was behind the wheel during the accident. Despite the seriousness of the incident, Shaheen fled the scene without stopping to render assistance or report what had occurred.
A Lengthy Investigation and Changing Stories
It took Western Australia police nearly two months to identify and locate Shaheen as the responsible driver. When confronted, the mother initially claimed she failed to report the crash because she felt embarrassed about the situation.
Shaheen later altered her account, suggesting she believed she had struck a musical instrument rather than a child. This explanation was met with skepticism from the court.
During Thursday's sentencing in the District Court of WA, Judge Laura Christian delivered a scathing assessment of Shaheen's actions. The judge determined the driver was motivated by selfishness and showed callous disregard for whether Alexis had survived the impact.
Unexpected Development During Legal Proceedings
In a surprising turn of events, despite facing serious criminal charges related to the hit-and-run, Shaheen managed to obtain a full Australian driver's licence while the court process was underway.
The victim's mother, Tory Carter, expressed gratitude toward police for their diligent work on the case outside the courthouse. While acknowledging Shaheen might be a lovely person deep down, Carter emphasized the importance of the sentence sending a clear message to the community about accountability.
She revealed her daughter, who will begin Year 10 in 2026, has been shielded from much of the legal process and is coping well despite the trauma. While physical recovery progresses, Carter noted the mental scars from the incident will likely persist for some time.
Shaheen received a 16-month prison sentence and will become eligible for parole after serving eight months of her term.
