'I am human': Driver apologises for hit-run on Perth schoolgirl
Share this @internewscast.com

A driver who ran down a Perth schoolgirl before fleeing has apologised, saying she’s only “human”. 

Alexis Ryan’s family was frustrated today when Tahira Shaheen’s sentencing was delayed after a judge struggled to accept she was intellectually disabled.

The 51-year-old ran down the then-12-year-old near Willetton Senior High in 2023, left her there and hid from police for months.
Alexis Ryan’s family was frustrated today when Tahira Shaheen’s sentencing was delayed after a judge struggled to accept she was intellectually disabled. (9News)

But outside court today, she said it was a mistake.

“I am not angel, I am human,” she said.

“I mistakenly, it’s accident.”

Police said Shaheen had never held a licence when she struck Alexis, leaving her with a broken leg and collarbone.

“It’s been almost two years, Lexi woke up this morning in tears crying from the pain in her leg from where the break was,” mother Tory Carter said outside court today.

Now a teenager, Alexis was too distraught to attend court today for what was meant to be Shaheen’s sentencing for failing to stop after the crash and for not reporting it to police.

But that decision was delayed over a defence-issued psychological report.

The 51-year-old ran down the then-12-year-old near Willetton Senior High in 2023, left her there and hid from police for months. (9News)

The report found the 51-year-old has the verbal abilities of a 10-year-old child, and non-verbal skills of a six-year-old. 

But Judge Laura Christian said “it’s just not adding up” for a woman who studied at college in Pakistan and now has a licence.

She ordered her own assessment, the findings of which may determine whether Shaheen spends time in jail, ahead of the October sentencing.

Asked outside court if she intended to apologise, Shaheen said, “Yes, yes I am really apologise.”

Alexis Ryan’s family was frustrated today when Tahira Shaheen’s sentencing was delayed after a judge struggled to accept she was intellectually disabled. (9News)

“Of course, I am mother, I am woman.”

Carter said a precedent needed to be set.

“People need to know that you can’t hit a child and drive off and not come forward,” she said, outside court.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tragic Oversight: How Missed Warning Signs Led to a Preventable Infant Death

Inset, left to right: Matthew Tucker and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker in court (WRGB).…

Trump DOJ’s 26-Page Argument: Why the President Can Sidestep Watergate-Era Law at Mar-a-Lago

Left inset: Judge Aileen Cannon (U.S. District Court). Right inset: Jack Smith…

Day Care Employee Allegedly Intoxicated During Lunch Break, Collapses Onto Child: Police Report

Background: News footage of the Milestones Early Learning Center in Plymouth, Minn.…

Shocking Betrayal: Husband’s Deadly ‘Hunting’ Trip Targets Estranged Wife from 30 Yards Away

Background: Kerri Ann Abatti”s home in Pinetop, Arizona (KPNX/YouTube). Inset: Michael Abatti…

Tragic School Shooting: 15-Year-Old Student Turns Gun on Teacher and Himself

In a tragic event that has shaken the community, a 15-year-old student…

Teenage Girl Fatally Attacks Notorious Gangster Once Confronted by Sean Connery

Lana Turner’s tumultuous relationship with notorious organized crime figure Johnny Stompanato was…

Man Accused of Assaulting Woman Over Mac and Cheese Dispute, Resulting in Serious Injury to Her Tattoo, Police Report

Inset: Steven Wolfe (Phelps County Jail). Background: The defendant”s purported residence in…

Proposed Legislation Seeks Death Penalty for Child Rape Convictions

In a significant legislative move on Monday, Tennessee lawmakers approved a bill…

Thermostat Turmoil: Crossbow Attack Leaves Man Inches from Tragedy in Sibling Feud

News footage of Samy Sedhom heading into court on April 2 (WNBC).…

Tragic Incident: Uncle Discovers Nephew Fatally Attacking Brother with Pickaxe

Background: News footage from the Newbury Park, Calif., neighborhood where a teenager…

Convicted Election Denier Tina Peters’ Sentence Overturned, But Democratic Threats Linger: Officials Warn

Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters looks on during sentencing…

Probation Breach: 18-Year-Old Arrested for Illegal Firearm Possession

In Gainesville, Florida, an 18-year-old named Clarence Rudolph Coleman Jr. found himself…