Katie Holmes, 29, of Rathmines, was speeding - experts estimate she was doing up to 94km/h in a 60km/h zone - and had methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system when her Mazda struck Ms Bourke as she walked across Main Road about 10.50pm on February 15, 2020. Holmes, who denied being affected by the drugs in her blood and claimed her speedometer must have been broken, was led down to the courthouse cells to spend her first night behind bars.

"It's a big relief," Ms Bourke's partner, Dean Latter, told the Newcastle Herald after the verdict. "It has been two-and-half-years and we always said we would get justice for Anne. "That is all we wanted, we didn't want to let Anne down because she is not here to defend herself."

Mr Latter and other members of Ms Bourke's family - who have followed the case intently - were in court and online for the verdict.

They hung around to watch Holmes be taken away by Corrective Services officers, saying they wanted to see her held accountable for her actions that night.

"It was comforting to see her get locked up," Mr Latter said. "Knowing she is off the road and there is no chance of seeing this happen to someone else. She showed no respect at all and no remorse."

Holmes will be sentenced in Sydney in October and the court heard she had breached her bail in January by again having drugs in her system while accompanying a learner driver.

"Whatever time she gets is not going to be long enough," Mr Latter said. "No amount of time can get Anne back. [Holmes] is guilty, that is what we wanted today."

Holmes had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death and the week-long trial had focused on whether she was driving dangerously in the moments before the fatal pedestrian crash. Essentially, the jury had to ask themselves a few questions. Is driving at 25km/h to 30km/h over the speed limit inherently dangerous? What if you had drugs in your system? And, after deliberating for about seven hours, the jury were left with no doubt that Holmes' driving that night was dangerous, regardless of the ultimate tragic consequences. It was a verdict that came not only as a huge relief to Ms Bourke's family and friends, but should bring solace to any member of the community.

"At the end of the day whether Anne got killed or not, [Holmes] still had drugs in her system and was doing 94km/h in a 60km/h zone," Rachael Latter said. "It is obvious that it was dangerous."

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