Melissa Jemma Leach: Geraldton woman pleads guilty to breaching bail, driving car at ex-partner

A Geraldton woman has pleaded guilty for repeated breaches of bail, which included driving her car at her former partner.

Melissa Jemma Leach appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Thursday where she pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching bail. Her bail conditions required her to stay at least 50m away from her ex-partner.

The court was told that incidents which occurred over September 25 and 26 at an address in Utakarra made up two of the three breaches of bail, with Ms Leach repeatedly screaming “f... you” at her partner.

The 28-year-old woman has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has not been taking her medication, the court was told.

Previously, Leach has used methamphetamine, but said she has not used it in the past three months.

The court was told Leach drove her blue Ford vehicle at her ex-partner at Utakarra, to which he jumped on the bonnet of the car.

Leach maintains she never intended to hit, injure or cause fear to him and was driving into the path of her ex as there was a car coming behind her.

Leach has been in police custody since Tuesday

She told the court she wanted to move to Kalgoorlie to stay with her brother, and her lawyer agreed it would be “a good circuit breaker” for the woman.

Magistrate Angus Hockton acknowledged the woman’s sparse criminal record and issued her with a seven-month community-based order and a $600 suspended fine.