Woman in 4WD pursued, threatened cyclist

A cyclist was so scared as Shelley Anne Alabaster revved her 4WD while pursuing him that he started dry-retching.

However, Alabaster was on Tuesday immediately released on parole after the cyclist pleaded for his tormentor to be shown compassion in an “extraordinary” statement.

Alabaster, 46, struck the cyclist from behind before pursuing him across a vacant lot in Brisbane’s south in October 2021.

A GoPro camera on the cyclist’s helmet captured the Inala attack after Alabaster hurled racist abuse.

Alabaster at one stage yelled she was going to kill the cyclist, revving her engine as she crashed through fences in pursuit about 3.30am.

“You turned your vehicle into a weapon and used it to attack an innocent civilian who was doing no more than riding his bicycle,” Justice Peter Callaghan said in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

“The fear created in your victim was intense. He was dry-retching (on GoPro footage) and held real concerns for his life.”

The cyclist was finally able to contact emergency services after trying to raise the alarm with Inala residents.

The attack had an “immense impact” on his health, confidence, lifestyle and relationships.

Yet the cyclist’s victim impact statement only had sympathy for Alabaster, pleading with her to seek help and “transform your life”.

“He might be entitled to feel unmitigated enmity towards you,” Justice Callaghan said.

“Instead he has made a most remarkable request for me to show you the compassion that you denied to him.

“He tells me he finds no peace in your incarceration because he believes prison is not the right place for you to receive the help you need.

“All in all it’s one of the most extraordinary documents I’ve ever seen produced in these courts.”

The court heard Alabaster had a history of alcohol-related offending, but was not intoxicated during the attack.

Justice Callaghan described her criminal history as a “sad chronicle of truly anti-social activity”.

Alabaster on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a string of charges, including dangerous operation of a vehicle, threatening violence at night, and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed.

She was immediately released on parole after being sentenced to three years in jail.

Alabaster was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for two years.