A Perth woman has pleaded guilty to killing a 21-year-old man following a fatal crash while speeding and under the influence of a cocktail of drugs.
Evie Lyn Butterworth, 30, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Abbey Rose Sheriff, 21, in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Wednesday morning. ABC reports.
The court heard Butterworth’s Nissan Maxima collided with Ms Sheriff’s Nissan
Evie Lyn Butterworth, 30, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Abbey Rose Sheriff, 21.
Abbey Rose Sheriff (pictured) was hit while driving to see her friend on January 11, 2023.
Mrs Sheriff was killed when Butterworth’s vehicle collided with hers.
Police had previously told the court that Butterworth’s blood contained drugs including methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine and tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance found in cannabis.
They also said he was traveling between 141 and 188 kilometers per hour before the accident.
Butterworth pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter. The charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs was discontinued as state prosecutors said the crime was covered by the involuntary manslaughter charge.
Butterworth remained in custody and will be sentenced in October.
Ms. Sheriff’s parents said the guilty plea was a relief.
‘He had five cocktails of high-end drugs in his system and he was speeding up. She knew what she was doing behind the wheel and she has taken a life she did not deserve,” said Ms. Sheriff’s mother, Julie Sheriff, outside court.
Abbey was the couple’s only child, and Mrs. Sheriff becomes distressed when she sees traumatic injuries or new mothers with their children, as she and her husband will now never be grandparents.
Abbey was on her way to support an upset friend and was driving along a route she usually took to work at the Dome Café when Butterworth hit her.
Abbey’s parents Julie and Dan (pictured together) said the guilty plea was a relief.