Crime
Kerala Nurse Sentenced to Two Years for Reckless Driving
Dimple Grace Thomas will serve a minimum 15 months in prison for accident in which a baby was killed.
32-year-old Kerala nurse Dimple Grace Thomas, vilified in the Australian media as a “baby killer” has been jailed in Australia for over two years after a court found her guilty of “wanton disregard of the law.” She was charged with reckless driving in a car accident in August 2016 which resulted in a pregnant mother losing her baby.
She will serve a minimum 15 months before becoming eligible for the parole. Upon completion of the jail sentence, she will be deported to India.
The accident happened when Thomas drove across a highway in an attempt to enter a gap in the central median to make a turn. The court concluded that she recklessly attempted to beat the traffic. She collided with anottheher car of Ashlea Allen, who was 28-weeks pregnant at the time.
Allen suffered abdominal pain and was rushed to a nearby hospital. After an emergency surgery, she delivered her daughter Melarnia, who died soon after.
During the hearing, Thomas’ lawyer argued that she was an inexperienced and nervous driver, who was confused about the intersection. The judge observed however that the intersection was unambiguous by design, and added that everyone leaving the place from the parking space had to take a mandatory left.
Australian media rip into Thomas
In the run up to the trial and following the verdict, Australian media ripped into Thomas.
“Baby killer Dimple Grace Thomas weeps at prison sentence,” screamed a headline in the Herald Sun.
“A lying, self-centred baby killer has cried on being jailed for just 15 months. Dimple Grace Thomas cared more about her own fate than the life of a 28-week unborn child she killed in a supreme act of selfishness,” the newspaper wrote.