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A highly educated mother who mowed down a 12-year-old girl outside a Perth high school and fled the scene because she was "embarrassed" has been sentenced to 16 months behind bars, Daily Dazzling Dawn realized.
Tahira Shaheen, 52, appeared in the District Court of Western Australia this week, where her defense team presented a startling explanation for the June 2023 collision: she initially believed she had run over a musical instrument, rather than a child.
The court rejected attempts to downplay Shaheen’s culpability through claims of intellectual impairment, noting her significant academic background in her country of origin. It was revealed that Shaheen holds a master’s degree in psychology from her native Pakistan and has successfully completed a Certificate III in Aged Care since arriving in Australia.
A "Callous" Decision to Flee-The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 am on June 26, 2023, a peak drop-off time outside Willetton Senior High School. Shaheen, who was driving unsupervised on a learner’s permit and failing to display ‘L’ plates, struck Year 7 student Alexis Lloyd at a pedestrian crossing.
Rather than stopping to render aid to the screaming child, Shaheen drove away. The court heard she later admitted to being too "embarrassed" to stop because her own son attended the same school.
Judge Laura Christian delivered a scathing assessment of Shaheen’s actions during sentencing, dismissing the defense’s narrative that panic or confusion justified leaving the scene.
"Your failure to stop or call for assistance was callous," Judge Christian said. "You had no idea whether that person you hit was dead or alive."
Addressing the claim that Shaheen feared the consequences of driving without a license, the Judge noted that the only rational conclusion was self-preservation. "You claim it was embarrassment that stopped you... but the only rational conclusion is that you knew you would be in trouble."
From "Musical Instrument" to Jail Cell-The defense had argued that Shaheen mistook the impact for hitting a dropped cello or violin case. However, prosecutors highlighted that Shaheen’s son, who she had been driving to school, later returned home to inform her that a student had been struck by a car. despite this confirmation, she remained silent.
The court viewed Shaheen’s attempts to allege an intellectual impairment as a stalling tactic. Judge Christian pointed to Shaheen’s master's level education in Pakistan and her Australian aged care qualifications as proof of her cognitive capability, dismantling the narrative of a confused or incapable driver.
Remarkably, while facing charges for the hit-and-run, Shaheen managed to obtain her full Australian driver's license—a privilege she ultimately lost upon sentencing.
Victim’s Family Finds Relief-Alexis Lloyd, now 14, suffered severe injuries in the crash, including a broken leg and collarbone. She spent weeks confined to a wheelchair and underwent surgery, enduring a long and painful recovery that forced her to miss significant time at school.
Speaking outside the court, Alexis’s mother, Tory Carter, expressed relief that the ordeal was finally over. She had feared a suspended sentence and welcomed the immediate jail term as a necessary message to the community.
"I was hoping for a couple of years, and not so much for her—I'm sure she's a lovely lady—but this does need to send that clear message to everybody that you can't do that," Ms. Carter said. "Today's sentencing has brought justice finally for the callous hit-and-run of Alexis."
Sentencing Details-Tahira Shaheen was sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison. She will be eligible for parole after serving eight months. The sentence marks the closing chapter of a case that shocked the local community, highlighting the devastating consequences of unsupervised learner driving and the moral imperative to stop at the scene of an accident.
