A woman facing sentencing for killing her ex-husband by accelerating a car and hitting him has sobbed loudly in court.
Samantha Hooker drove at her former husband Peter, striking him and colliding with a home at Schofields in Sydney's west on August 8, 2023.
He suffered serious injuries and died from complications more than three weeks later.
The 46-year-old woman was found not guilty of murder in March, after a jury heard she had experienced extreme provocation and a significant mental impairment after years of abuse.
On Wednesday, she appeared with a throng of supporters for a sentence hearing on the lesser charge of manslaughter at the NSW Supreme Court.
Sitting in the dock during the hearing, Hooker was seen head-in-hands, shoulders shaking, while audibly crying after Justice Hament Dhanji left the courtroom during a short break.
A support person sat next to Hooker, holding an ice-pack to her neck, while a female sheriff looked on.
On the day she ran over her ex-husband, Hooker drove to his home and was physically violent towards him.
She laid punches, ripped his shirt and threw a large object at him during a 10-minute argument, crown prosecutor Emma Blizard told the court.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Mr Hooker was heard saying, after he jumped over a railing to avoid being hit by her vehicle.
His ex-wife again drove her vehicle at him, mounting the pavement and accelerating towards Mr Hooker before colliding with him and pinning him against the side of a brick home, Ms Blizard said.
Drone footage played to court revealed tyre tracks behind the silver hatchback, which was parked on grass against the side of the house.
Ms Blizard said the offence was a serious example of manslaughter, partly because it occurred in a domestic violence context.
Hooker showed an intention to kill by driving at her fleeing ex in a targeted way at speed, she said.
Defence barrister Tom Quilter SC admitted his client was the main instigator on the day, as she drove to the home to confront her ex-husband about his drug-dealing.
However, he argued Hooker's actions should be viewed in light of the extreme provocation she suffered over a long period.
She told police, counsellors and psychiatrists Mr Hooker had been physically abusive and engaged in coercive control.
Mr Quilter said his client regretted her actions, and had asked police who attended the scene if her ex-husband was OK.
The attack wasn't planned, but rather due to a lack of self-control, the barrister said.
Hooker will find time in custody much more onerous due to her mental health conditions, he added.
The 46-year-old spent four months behind bars before she was bailed, and was placed under house arrest for more than two years before the trial.
Justice Dhanji will sentence Hooker at a later date.
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