A father, his sister and his mother have been sentenced for abducting a child from a Sunshine Coast caravan park

A court has heard how an 18 month old baby “screamed and cried” as she was abducted from a caravan park by her father, aunt and grandmother.

Three family members have been sentenced together for their role in a “traumatic” Boxing Day abduction of an 18 month old baby.

The father of the baby, his mother and his sister faced Maroochydore District Court on Thursday, each charged with child stealing – domestic violence offence and enter dwelling with intent by break, uses violence in company - domestic violence offence.

The trio, who cannot be named to protect the child’s identity, stole the 18 month old girl from a caravan park in Mapleton on December 26, 2019.

The court heard the baby “screamed and cried” as her father, aged 41 at the time, his mother, then 66, and his sister, then 53, took her away.

The baby was staying with her older half brother and maternal grandmother at the park when the three “barged” in to the caravan, pushed the grandmother and grabbed the baby.

The court heard the father put the baby in the back seat of the car and pushed the maternal grandmother away as she tried to stop them.

He then drove off before the rear car door was closed or the baby was strapped in to a seat.

The baby’s maternal grandmother was named as the complainant in the matter, and in a victim impact statement she described the trauma of the abduction.

“The crimes committed against me and my grandchildren affect me deeply to this day,” she wrote.

She said she remembered the baby girl “screaming at the top her lungs” as she was driven away.

The woman said she felt helpless and was in “complete, utter shock”.

After the abduction, the grandmother said she continues to feel fearful and isolated, and can no longer stay at the caravan park where it happened.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks said the father had not seen his baby for about three months at the time of the offence, but had a “50/50” care arrangement with the mother.

The court heard the trio attended the caravan park with the intention of just checking on the baby’s welfare but made the “spontaneous, emotional” decision to take her.

Ms Marks said it was in the father’s favour that he had rung Triple 0 at the time of the offence and told them he had the baby and where he was taking her, meaning police did not have to issue an amber alert.

She acknowledged that the baby’s welfare had not been in grave danger and the trio were not motivated by “sinister” intentions.

Acting for the baby’s father, defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown said his client had gone to the caravan park to check on his daughter and “give her a hug” but made the spontaneous decision to take her.

He said the abduction was not premeditated and the father was remorseful and regretful.

Defence barrister Kelvin Pearson, acting for the baby’s paternal grandmother, said the woman had become “overwhelmed with emotions once she saw the child which triggered the ongoing events.”

He said his client had helped care for the baby since she was four weeks old and was remorseful for the offending.

Defence barrister Nathan Turner, acting for the baby’s aunt, said the she made “poor errors of judgment” and had only wanted what she thought was best for the child.

Judge Glen Cash said he hoped the trio recognised the ordeal must have been “terrifying” for the baby.

He took into account their guilty pleas, good character references and lack of criminal histories when sentencing the family.

For the burglary offence they were each sentenced to 12 months in prison.

For the child stealing they were each sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be served concurrently.

The prison terms were wholly suspended for 15 months and convictions were recorded.