Psych report reveals mum’s state of mind before accidentally killing her son

A psychiatrist’s report has revealed a further twist in the tragedy surrounding a mother who accidentally ran over her eight-year-old son, resulting in his death.

Renay Paiym Condoleon in court for driving without due care leading to death.

Court documents have revealed a further twist in the tragedy surrounding a mother convicted of driving without due care after she accidentally ran over her eight-year-old son after making him get out of the car, resulting in his death.

Renay Paiym Condoleon, who now goes by her married name Nielsen, pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on December 4, to driving without due care and attention or driving without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road, causing death or grievous bodily harm.

During sentencing the court heard the 33-year-old had been frustrated with misbehaviour on the morning of November 13, 2022 and in attempt to fix their behaviour, drove to a quiet dirt road in the Calavos area of Bundaberg.

She asked her son to step out of the car, threatening she would leave him for another family to find if he didn’t behave, and in an effort to enforce the bluff, started to drive off.

The court heard Nielsen wasn’t aware her son had reached out for the car, stepping onto a broken side rail, slipping and going under the car where he was critically and fatally injured.

Renay Paiym Condoleon in court for driving without due care leading to death.

Magistrate John McInnes showed sympathy for Nielsen, who was openly grieving in the courtroom, however court documents obtained by the NewsMail revealed a shocking twist to the heartbreaking circumstances.

A statement of facts revealed her son did not die at the scene, and that Nielsen did not wait at the scene for emergency services, instead placing him in the boot area of her car, leaving the scene and calling emergency services on her phone as she did so.

The boy was eventually taken by ambulance to Bundaberg Hospital where he later died.

Further court documents have revealed Nielsen had been under the care of a psychiatrist for more than a year before the incident, that she had been diagnosed with adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and had a history of alcohol misuse.

A report by her Brisbane psychiatrist provided to the court revealed Nielsen had been “feeling more irritable in the context of psychosocial stresses” in the weeks leading up to the incident, according to her September 9, 2022 appointment notes.

Escitalopram (Lexapro) 20mg antidepressant.

Her daily Escitalopram medication (used to treat depression and generalised anxiety disorder) was at that time raised from 10mg to 15mg.

At the September 9, 2022 review - two months before the accident - her psychiatrist noted “her mood was less stable compared to before”,

“Work was busier as they were short staffed, her husband was not helping with the care of her children as he was focused on his business,” the report said.

“There were no acute risks to herself or others or impaired judgment or decision making capacity identified during the review.”

The psychiatrist further noted that since the death of her son “I have continued to review her approximately every two months or so and noted that she has been gradually improving”.