Woman accused of ramming husband in SUV pleads guilty

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman pleaded guilty Monday to driving her SUV through a glass door and hitting her husband.

Brenda Christine White, 36, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and criminal mischief, both second-degree felonies, in connection with the April 26, 2006 incident. The woman was initially facing charges of attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and criminal mischief, a second-degree felony.

A week-long trial ended Aug. 10 with a mistrial after it was determined that jurors may have been discussing the case outside of the courtroom. Monday's hearing was set as a scheduling conference, but White instead entered guilty pleas.

Before the incident, White and her estranged husband, Jon White, had been arguing about money, child custody and other matters. White believed her then-husband was having an affair and was addicted to pornography.

Brenda White tried to talk to Jon White at his workplace about refinancing their home, but when he refused to sign certain documents, she apparently called the man a "parasite" and told him "she was going to wipe him off the earth," court documents state.

She left but returned four hours later, chased him in her vehicle as he ran for cover on foot, smashed the SUV through a Salt Lake office building's glass door and hit the man, throwing him about 10 feet.

She then pursued him once he got up and drove into him again, prosecutors say. Brenda White's attorneys argued that the woman had taken a handful of Xanax before driving into the building and said the drugs had impacted her behavior.

White will be sentenced Jan. 8.

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