Court hears man ran over partner with Range Rover, causing brain injury

In short:

Christopher Morley has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and breaching a domestic violence order after running over his then-partner with his Range Rover at a caravan park near Darwin earlier this year.

The Northern Territory Supreme Court heard the woman suffered serious injuries, including multiple skull and facial fractures, brain bleeds and wounds to her body during the incident in January.

What's next?

Morley will be sentenced later this month and will remain on bail until the case returns to court next week.

A man who ran over his partner with his car near Darwin earlier this year, causing her to suffer a traumatic brain injury, has pleaded guilty in the Northern Territory Supreme Court to dangerous driving.

Christopher Morley also pleaded guilty to breaching a domestic violence restraining order after he ran over his then-girlfriend at a caravan park on the outskirts of Darwin in January.

The court heard the couple were living together at the Oasis Caravan Park in Virginia and had been drinking on the night in question when they became involved in a verbal argument.

Morley was about to leave the caravan park in his Range Rover when the woman stood in front of the car and put her hands on the bonnet before he slowly accelerated, causing her to fall under the front passenger-side wheel.

"The offender continued to drive for approximately 10 metres before coming to a stop," Crown prosecutor Deborah Roussos said.

"The victim was run over by the vehicle, resulting in significant injuries and serious harm."

The court heard Morley was on the phone to his adult daughter at the time, who heard her father scream "Oh my God, she's just jumped in front of the car and I have just hit her".

Ms Roussos said emergency services arrived to find the woman unconscious and bleeding from the head.

The victim was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital with life-threatening injuries, including multiple skull and facial fractures, brain bleeds and wounds to her knees and elbows.

She was later transferred to the Alfred Hospital's trauma unit in Victoria where she was diagnosed with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

In the months after the accident, the court heard the woman struggled with her speech and short-term memory and was unable to walk.

The 58-year-old spent four months in rehabilitation to improve her speech and mobility.

Morley's lawyer, Brooke Houen, urged Justice Stephen Southwood to impose a suspended sentence, emphasising that her client did not intentionally cause the victim serious harm.

"He accepts there are horrific consequences for his momentary lapse of judgement," she said.

"But he really wants me to make clear that he did not intend to hurt her in such a serious way."

Ms Roussos agreed the offending was a "very brief episode", but said it remained "fairly serious" given the extent of the woman's injuries.

"There was certainly a high level of negligence if nothing else, and it certainly is very dangerous driving with someone standing in direct line with the car," she said.

Justice Southwood adjourned the case until later this month to allow time for Morley to be assessed for a supervision order and he will remain on bail until his case returns to court next week.