Redland Bay grandmother carries “extreme shame, remorse” for petrol assault on grandson

An ugly family disturbance ended with a nine-year-old boy covered in petrol after a grandmother told an emergency operator “I can’t be held responsible”.

A bayside grandmother who accidentally poured petrol “all over” her grandson during a family squabble has faced court.

The 55-year-old Redland Bay woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a swath of offences when she appeared at Cleveland Magistrates Court on Friday.

They included common assault; drug driving; possessing dangerous drugs; possessing drug utensils and fraud.

The court heard the defendant on December 5, 2019 rang triple-0 during a heated family disturbance and told operators “I can’t be held responsible” before she sprang into action.

Having taken informal custody of her then nine-year-old grandson the woman was surprised to find her daughter – and mother of the child – and the mother’s boyfriend at her house without invitation.

When an attempt was made by the allegedly drug abusing mother to remove the child from the property, the defendant poured petrol over them.

The grandmother faced several charges at Cleveland Magistrates Court. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker)

police prosecutor said a yellow liquid that smelled like petrol went “all over” the child.

The prosecution acknowledged that the petrol was not intentionally poured onto the child but that it was a “probable consequence”, given the child had stood among the targeted adults.

Multiple drug offences followed on the back of a longstanding addiction, the court heard.

On April 21 police serving a warrant on the grandmother’s residence found a total of 2.93 grams methamphetamine, a syringe, clipseal bags, Oxycodone, Valium, Suboxone, cannabis and diazepam.

A July police intercept of her car uncovered 1g of meth, a drug pipe, a drug scoop, straw and scissors.

And on December 12 tests would confirm she had been driving with meth in her system on Gordon Rd in Redland Bay.

Defence solicitor Paul Burns said his client had simply lost her temper and had behaved irrationally when she took steps into her own hands while her grandchild was in the “crossfire”.

The court heard the defendant “loved the child dearly” and had been legally prohibited from seeing him since the “horrific” incident.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta acknowledged the grandmother had faced “a tsunami of consequences” for her assault and accepted her “extreme shame and remorse”.