Tara Maree Richardson charged with murder over death of Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O’Sullivan

The case against a Qld mother, who police allege killed her own son and then claimed he drowned in the backyard pool, has returned to court.

Tarrin-Macen Kennith O’Sullivan was buried in a coffin covered in the character's of his favourite show Paw Patrol. He died in August 2021 and his mother has been charged with his murder.

A mother charged with murdering her own son and claiming he drowned faces further court delays as a new barrister is brought onto the case.

In 2021 little Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O’Sullivan was found dead in a pool in the Mackay region and police allege his mother was the only person home at the time of his death.

The four-year-old was pulled naked from the water of a pool at a Munbura home in the late afternoon on August 29, 2021.

After an exhaustive investigation his mother Tara Maree Richardson, 46, was charged with murder 2.5 years after her son’s death.

She is also charged with interfering with a corpse.

A family friend made up shirts for loved ones to wear that honoured four-year-old Tarrin-Macen Kennith O’Sullivan who died in August 2021.

Police allege the little boy was dead before he entered the water, and that Ms Richardson phoned triple-0 claiming her son had drowned.

She was arrested just after 6am on December 8, 2023 and taken into custody has remained on remand and did not appear in Mackay Magistrates Court on Wednesday when the case was briefly mentioned.

Tara Richardson, 46, has been charged with the murder of her four-year-old son Tarrin-Macen Kenneth O'Sullivan after he was found face down in a poll near Sarina in August 2021.

There had been a previous delay because Ms Richardson’s lawyers were awaiting an expert report they had commissioned.

Duty lawyer Laura Santin, of Harvey Legal, appeared as town agent for Ms Richardson’s solicitor and told the court that expert report had since been received.

“They’ve had to rebrief the matter to new counsel,” Ms Santin said, adding they were requesting an adjournment until April for certain actions to be done.

This was accepted and Ms Richardson’s appearance was also excused at the next mention.