Shanyn Lorayne Worley sentenced for car, motorbike crash in North Tamworth

Shanyn Lorayne Worley was convicted, fined $500, and banned from driving for a year after she pleaded guilty to negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm.

The 30-year-old victim, arriving at Tamworth Local Court in a wheelchair, was flanked by his partner on Friday when the sentence was handed down by magistrate Julie Soars.

"There's no winners or losers in this type of matter," police prosecutor Sergeant Rob Baillie told the court.

"The prosecution does find this a hard sentencing process."

Sergeant Baillie said the victim had undergone multiple surgeries since the car and motorcycle collided in North Tamworth on July 22, last year, and had an ongoing leg problem that left him unable to walk far, drive, or work.

Defence barrister Frank Coyne told the court 55-year-old Worley, who was supported in court by her husband, offered her "deepest sympathy" to the victim and hoped her early guilty plea would allow insurance to be paid out.

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Mr Coyne said Worley could see a white four-wheel-drive travelling towards the CBD along Peel Street as she waited to give way to turn right out of Johnston Street about 8.30am on the day of the crash.

He said she had stopped, looked left, and right at least twice, but couldn't see the Harley Davidson motorcycle travelling directly behind the four-wheel-drive.

As the white four-wheel-drive turned left up Johnston Street, Worley began to slowly move out of the intersection, having not seen the motorbike moving around the outside of the four-wheel-drive to continue straight.

Mr Coyne said Worley was "hardly moving", while the motorcycle was going about 40km her hour, when they collided, causing the rider to hit the driver's side bonnet of the car hard and then the roadway.

"That results in catastrophic injuries to the motorcycle rider," he said.

But, the impact wasn't even enough to set off Worley's airbags, Mr Coyne told the court.

"This is a tragic accident," he said.

Mr Coyne said motorbike riders learnt that any crash was bound to cause more extensive injuries than someone driving a car would suffer.

He handed up references, and told the court Worley had made an "unrivalled contribution" to her community as an educator for more than 30 years, and headmaster of a rural school for five years.

"Her contribution to her students, her staff, even the parents - it's a massive contribution to her community," Mr Coyne said.

The court heard she had no criminal history.

Mr Coyne submitted that while Worley's level of negligence was at the lower end of objective seriousness, he accepted that the injuries the victim suffered were at the higher end.

He asked the court to consider a non-conviction for Worley, which could allow her to keep her licence.

Ms Soars said during sentencing that while Worley was a "very upstanding" person in the community, everyone had to be held to the same standard.

Based on the set of agreed facts, she said it appeared the crash happened at a "somewhat difficult intersection" in North Tamworth.

"There was nothing the [victim] could do to get out of the way," Ms Soars said.

He had tried to swerve, but there was a concrete barrier on the other side, and was wearing protective gear at the time.

Ms Soars said there were extenuating circumstances surrounding the crash, and although Worley's negligence was a lower level, the multiple serious injuries to the victim increased the seriousness.

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