45-Year-old Thornlands woman allegedly hits Redlands childcare centre with bomb hoax twice

A court has heard a woman who allegedly targeted a popular southeast Queensland child care centre with multiple bomb threats did so in protest for free childcare.

A 45-year-old woman who allegedly placed two bomb hoax letters under the doors of a popular southeast Queensland kindergarten did so in protest for free childcare, a court has heard.

Appearing from remand via video link yesterday a plainly distraught Angela Maree Welsh was granted bail under strict conditions banning her from coming within 100 metres, except when driving by, of any childcare centre.

The court heard Welsh was a single Thornlands woman with no children suffering significant mental health issues who at 8pm on September 23 and 11am on November 8 allegedly placed two letters threatening of bombs under the doors of a Cleveland childcare centre.

A concerned Magistrate Deborah Vasta told the court Welsh had an 18-year criminal history which included offences of bomb hoax; using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence; wilfully give false alarm of fire and obstructing police.

Welsh, the court heard, was on bail at the time of the alleged offending, had called in a bomb threat to the Princess Alexandra Hospital on February 3 and had previously spent 172 days in custody for similar offending.

Angela Welsh has been granted bail after allegedly threatening a childcare centre with multiple bomb hoaxes. Picture: Facebook.

However, defence solicitor Kate Fuller said her client’s alleged offending was, although very serious, not linked to any actual bomb making potential or intent and was “more of a nuisance”.

Ms Fuller told the court Welsh, who had wanted to plead guilty at the start of proceedings but couldn’t at a magistrates court due to the seriousness of the alleged offending, was in peril of regressing significantly in her health should she spend too much time in remand.

“It (her alleged offending) seems to be intrinsically linked to her mental health,” Ms Fuller said

“It was a form of protest, she believes there should be an increase to free child care and this was her way of putting that protest forward.”

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The court was further told the defendant did not have capacity to work, required assistance to use public transport and was supported weekly by a carer.

Magistrate Vasta urged the woman to beware of fixations and to engage more effectively with her mental health support.

The magistrate also impressed on the defendant the significant alarm and inconvenience she allegedly caused to parents at the childcare centre.

In addition to her ban Welsh was also placed on a 7pm – 6am curfew.

She is next due for court on January 21 next year.