A drunk driver who caused a head-on collision and assaulted police at Freshwater has avoided gaol.
Shortly before 4.30pm Wednesday, 27 August 2025, emergency services responded to a report of a head-on collision between a white 2018 Land Rover Discovery and a red 2016 Mazda CX3 at Harbord Road, Freshwater, near Lawrence Street.
The force of the impact caused air bags to deploy in both vehicles. The 49-year-old female driver of the Mazda was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital in a stable condition with a fractured neck.
Michelle Lewis, the then 53-year-old female driver of the Land Rover, was uninjured but arrested by officers attached to Northern Beaches Police Area Command when she returned a positive result to a roadside breath test. Asked to produce her driver licence, the woman told police it was in her vehicle and attempted to retrieve it.
According to evidence placed before Manly Local Court, it was at this point the woman was told by police not to move because she was under arrest. When the arresting officer grabbed her shoulder, she struck him in the torso with a closed fist.
The officer was not injured, but the woman continued to struggle and was forcefully detained and placed in handcuff restraints before being taken to Manly Police Station where, according to police evidence, she remained uncooperative.
At the police station, she was subject to a further breath analysis which returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.137 and her driver licence was suspended.
In a written statement Ms Lewis put before the court, the South African born woman, who lived in the United Kingdom and New Zealand before moving to Sydney 15 years ago, expressed remorse for her actions and apologised to the police officer she struck.
“I deeply regret that I made the decision to get behind the wheel while I was under the influence of alcohol. I acknowledge this was a serious lapse of judgement and my actions could have had devastating consequences.
“I have great respect for police officers and the difficult and dangerous work they do to keep the community safe. The officer was simply doing his job and my actions showed a lack of control and judgement for which I take full responsibility.
“I assure the Court that this conduct is entirely out of character for me and will never be repeated. This incident has caused me significant shame and reflection.
“I am not someone who struggles with addiction and this incident was a one-off. I am particularly mindful of the example I set for my children and those close to me,” wrote Ms Lewis.
Ms Lewis pleaded guilty to two charges:
- Driving a motor vehicle with a middle range Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA) under Section 110(4)(a) of the Road Transport Act. She was convicted and disqualified from driving for six months, with a 12-month interlock order. She was also placed on a 12-month community corrections order with 100 hours of community service.
- Assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty under Section 60(1) of the Crimes Act. A conviction was not recorded but she was placed on a 12-month conditional release order.
In determining the sentence handed down at Manly Local Court on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, the Magistrate considered the driving record of 54-year old Michelle Louise Lewis, which showed a string of traffic offences including driving in a bus lane, use of a mobile phone, speeding (including in school zones), and disobeying traffic signals. She also previously had a demerit point suspension on her driver licence.
It is understood since the offences occurred, Ms Lewis has moved from Seaforth on the Northern Beaches to the Eastern Suburbs.
Images: Northern Beaches Advocate
What did you miss this week?
Get the week's news delivered free to your inbox every Saturday. Subscribe to our free email newsletter.
