Mum Acquitted of Drink-Driving Charge Faces New Legal Battles
A Sydney mother, who previously made headlines for being acquitted of a high-range drink-driving offence by claiming a medical condition led to a falsely high breathalyser reading, is now facing a new set of serious legal challenges. Natasha Jansen, 51, has been charged with assaulting an elderly woman and remains entangled in legal proceedings related to a separate car crash that occurred shortly after her initial acquittal.
Weeks after being cleared of a charge that alleged her blood alcohol content was nearly five times the legal limit, Jansen was involved in a single-vehicle accident in Northbridge, on Sydney’s lower north shore. At the time of this incident, she had cannabis in her system and allegedly registered a reading of .304 on a roadside alcohol test. However, she subsequently refused to undergo further breath analysis at Chatswood police station.
In February, Jansen pleaded guilty to a string of driving offences: negligent driving, failing to submit to a breath test, and driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in her blood. These charges stemmed from the Northbridge crash. On Thursday, she appeared at Hornsby Local Court for sentencing, but her legal representative raised objections to certain aspects of the police statement of facts concerning the collision.
Medical Condition and Disputed Facts
Michael Bowe, Jansen’s lawyer, informed the court that his client suffers from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). He argued that this condition can lead to inaccurate readings on breath testing devices, a defence that was instrumental in her previous acquittal. Mr. Bowe emphasised that Jansen had pleaded guilty to refusing a breath test, not to drink-driving, and therefore, the alleged .304 reading should be disregarded by the court.
Furthermore, Mr. Bowe objected to details within the police statement, including the number of other vehicles Jansen allegedly struck and the claim that her car had rolled an unspecified number of times. He indicated his intention to call evidence from a neuropharmacology expert, Professor Macdonald Christie, who had previously testified on Jansen’s behalf.
Previous Acquittal and Health Tonic Defence
Jansen first captured public attention in July 2024 when she was found asleep behind the wheel of her parked vehicle outside her children’s school sports grounds, also in Northbridge. Initially, she recorded a breath test reading of 0.243, followed by a second reading of 0.193 at the police station.
Over a year later, in August, Mr. Bowe successfully argued that Jansen’s blood alcohol readings could have been influenced by a combination of her reflux condition and a health tonic she had consumed. He presented evidence that Jansen had drunk two 500ml bottles of Grant’s liquid chlorophyll, a product readily available in supermarkets, prior to the incident.
Professor Christie testified that the quantity of chlorophyll Jansen consumed should have resulted in a blood alcohol reading of 0.12 or lower, well below the 0.15 threshold for high-range drink-driving. The court heard that Jansen’s reflux condition, according to a police breathalyser expert, could have caused regurgitation of the chlorophyll into her mouth. This, in turn, could have led the breathalyser to register the alcohol content present in her mouth rather than accurately reflecting her blood alcohol concentration. Based on these arguments, Magistrate Margaret McGlynn accepted the defence’s explanation and dismissed the drink-driving charge on August 11.
New Allegations and Domestic Violence Order
The Daily Mail has also revealed that, under her maiden name, Jansen was charged late last year with a domestic violence-related common assault. She pleaded not guilty in January to allegedly assaulting a 76-year-old woman in Northbridge on December 18.
Jansen was granted bail for the alleged assault, but police have also taken out an interim apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) to protect the alleged victim. Her bail conditions are stringent, prohibiting her from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing, or intimidating the alleged victim or anyone with whom she has a domestic relationship. She is also forbidden from destroying property or harming an animal belonging to the alleged victim.
Adding to her legal woes, Jansen was already on bail for the driving offences from the Northbridge crash, which included a condition preventing her from driving any motor vehicle or even occupying the driver’s seat.
Court Proceedings and Future Appearances
When Jansen appeared in court on Thursday for the driving offences, Mr. Bowe referred to them as “a number of alcohol-related matters” and indicated that the case would proceed to a ‘disputed facts’ hearing. He confirmed his intention to call Professor Christie as a witness.
The court also reviewed police footage that reportedly showed Jansen to be steady on her feet and not exhibiting signs of severe intoxication. Jansen herself gave evidence that she had been tired from a previous night of poor sleep, explaining why she had nodded off outside the school.
In bail court documents obtained by 7News, Jansen reportedly stated that she “had a history of alcoholism, is unemployed and has two children as dependents.” Police alleged in these documents that “The accused appears to have been intoxicated while driving a vehicle leading to a collision that by luck did not result in the injury/death to a person” and “The accused willingly failed to respond to legislated obligations placed upon her being the driver of a motor vehicle involved in a collision.”
Jansen is scheduled to return to court for the driving offences in July and for the assault charge in May. Recent observations have seen Jansen being transported in chauffeur-driven vehicles and delivered to court by her father, highlighting a stark contrast to the circumstances of her alleged offences.
