Arson allegations against Tahlia Brown arise amidst toddler death harassment case
A Rockhampton mum subjected to a “callous and cruel” online vendetta following the drowning death of her toddler was accused of her own offending in turn when her online harasser faced court.
Police & Courts
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A Rockhampton mum has been accused of setting a car alight in the months following her daughter’s death, as a woman who harassed her throughout those same months faced court.
Tahlia Eason, also known as Tahlia Brown, suffered the tragic loss of her daughter Taidyn ‘Totty’ Murphy in a drowning incident last September.
In the months following, a court heard that Ms Brown was subjected to a “callous and cruel” vendetta of online harassment from her defacto husband’s ex-girlfriend.
The Queensland Times can now reveal that Ms Brown has also been accused of her own serious offending in the same months.
Her online harasser and husband’s ex-girlfriend, Jessie Ella Ayling was sentenced to 12 months probation last Wednesday, May 17, for using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence to Ms Brown, along with breaching her bail conditions.
The court heard Ayling had sent harassing messages telling Ms Brown to kill herself and made posts and Tik Toks blaming Ms Brown for Totty’s death.
Ms Brown told The Queensland Times that she had been “drowning in grief” at the time of the harassment and also lost her job.
“It’s been eight months and I haven’t been able to properly process it or grieve the loss of my daughter because of the never ending torment,” Ms Brown said.
Ms Brown said she was “horrified” by the outcome of the court proceedings.
“She’s driven me mad in my grief and has gotten away with it.”
The court heard Ms Brown was accused of her own offending in turn, however.
At Ayling’s sentencing last week, her defence lawyer Mickaela Brown said it was alleged Ms (Tahlia) Brown had set one of Ms Ayling’s friends’ cars on fire.
Court documents from Ayling’s case revealed that one of Ayling’s TikTok videos that formed the basis for her harassment charges included the text “petrol bomb my f**king friend’s car Tahlia”.
They also detailed a Snapchat conversation which took place between Ayling, one of her friends, and one of Ms Brown’s friends last December.
Throughout the conversation, Ayling and her friend confronted the other woman about the arson allegations, with the friend saying: “You and I both know your trapped IDC if you screenshot. She blew my car up”.
Ayling followed up, saying: “We don’t want to fight with you but we know Talias (sic) hooked you in. And you’re trapped”.
She continued: “And the bad part is. She [Ms Brown] will throw you under the bus to clear her name”.
Ayling’s friend at one stage said: “You know about my car being bombed before it happened. You an accessory?”
Court records confirm that Ms Brown currently stands charged with one count of arson, alleged to have occurred on November 30, 2022, in Taigum.
Ms Brown is currently on bail for the charge, and next scheduled for mention at Rockhampton Magistrates Court on May 31.
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