Woman faces Southport Court after leaving three children alone at Gold Coast home to get Panadol

A mother who left her three children alone at their Gold Coast home for a midnight Panadol run has been taken to court. Read what happened here.

A woman who left her two 19-month-old babies and six-year-old child alone in their Gold Coast home to get Panadol at midnight has been sentenced in court.

A woman who left twin babies and a primary school aged child alone in their Gold Coast home to get Panadol at midnight has been sentenced in court.

The woman pleaded guilty when she appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court to three counts of leaving a child under 12 unattended.

The court heard the older child woke up to find their mother wasn’t home around 12.30am on January 20, 2025.

The child went to the next-door neighbour, who took her back to her home but upon entering, noticed there were also twin infants alone in the home and called police.

The court heard police later arrived around 1.30am and tried to contact the mother, however her phone did not ring.

The woman returned home to her children around 1.45am.

Police prosecutor Rodney Keyte said it was unclear how long the woman was gone but police know it was at least for one hour.

The court heard the woman told police she was getting herself Panadol but later said she was getting it for the babies.

The woman’s sister had temporary care of the three children, who have since been returned to her care.

The woman’s solicitor, Joanna McNae from Ashkan Tai Lawyers, told the court her client had gone out in the middle of the night in an attempt to get Panadol for her children.

Ms McNae said the woman had previously lost a daughter to SIDS and felt stressed when her children came down with a cough.

She said in a lapse of judgement, the woman decided to go get Panadol while her children were asleep.

Ms McNae said there had been a lapse in the woman returning to her children because her daughter’s funeral song came on, causing her to pull her car over and become very emotional.

The court heard the woman, who had previously fled domestic violence with her children, was working full time and did not have a criminal history.

Ms McNae said after the offence the children were taken to hospital, found in fine health, and cleared.

The court heard child safety made no order or finding against the woman.

Ms McNae said a fine would be within range for the charges.

“Why would I fine her? That's just taking money away from her children, isn’t it?” Magistrate Jane Bentley said.

Ms Bentley took into account the woman’s early guilty pleas and said the conduct happened over a short period of time.

She said she took into account the woman’s personal circumstances.

The woman was discharged completely.

Originally published as Woman faces Southport Court after leaving three children alone at Gold Coast home to get Panadol