McLeod inquest: Court hears of mother’s alleged threats

The friend of a woman who died alongside her four children in a horrific head-on truck crash has revealed how she warned authorities years before the tragedy.

A friend of a woman who died with her four children in a horror truck crash has told how she had spoken of driving into a tree or truck so her estranged husband could not have the children.

Brisbane Coroners Court was hosting an inquest into the deaths of Charmaine McLeod, 35, and her children Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4, and Zaidok, 2, who all perished in the May 2019 crash on the Bunya Highway near Kingaroy in the South Burnett.

The inquest heard on Friday that Ms McLeod had told a friend about three years prior to the fatal crash “it took all her willpower when she was in the car with the children not to drive into a tree and kill them all”.

The long-term friend had been interviewed by a police officer following the deaths.

The detective asked the woman whether Ms McLeod had ever threatened to harm the children, the inquest heard.

“She did tell me it took all her willpower when she was in the car with the children not to drive into a tree and kill them all so that then James couldn’t have them either,” the woman said.

The woman said Ms McLeod made the comment sometime in 2016.

She told the officer she phoned the Department of Child Safety and while she didn’t relay the tree comment she said “those kids are in grave grave danger, you need to get around there”.

The woman told the detective that Ms McLeod had also told her she would “like to drive into a truck but I wouldn’t do that to the driver, that’s too selfish”.

Charmaine McLeod and her children

Over the inquest’s three weeks the court has heard Ms McLeod experienced complex mental health issues involving diagnoses of schizophrenia and border personality disorder which can result in sufferers struggling to control their emotions, anger and feelings of abandonment and it can cause an exaggerated response when things don’t go their way.

“While Charmaine had many mental health issues, the deaths of her and her four children are not so simply dismissed as suicide due to her mental health nor is it as simple as saying it was a murder suicide or that she acted in a premeditated or vicious manner as suggested by some,” counsel assisting Kylie Hillard said in her opening statement to the inquest.

Family members of Ms McLeod and the children read statements in court on Friday.

James McLeod, the children’s father and estranged partner of Ms McLeod, made an emotional statement to Brisbane Coroners Court on the final day of the inquest into the deaths.

James McLeod said he had always dreamt of becoming a father and had been left gutted “to have my kids ripped away from me”.

“I am no longer the man I was. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and complicated grief,” he said.

“I just feel like I don’t have a purpose any more. I loved being a dad and it was the one thing I was really good at.

“I can’t be a passenger in a car any more it gives me so much anxiety when I see an oncoming truck … terrified the truck is going to hit me.”

Mr McLeod remembered his children as “always so happy and full of life”,

He went on to describe their personalities: “Aaleyn – Ally was a natural born leader would often bring all the kids together … she was kind and generous and liked to share.

James McLeod at a previous hearing of the inquest

“Matilda – Maddie was my little troublemaker. She was fun, outgoing, creative and adventurous. She loved making new friends

“Wyatt – Wyatt my first boy was kind gentle and sensitive. Wyatt easily made friends and got along with everyone.

“Zaidok – Zaidok was my baby, he was always getting into stuff, was always full of beans and was always happy. Zaidok really looked up to his siblings.”

Mr McLeod said their lives were cut “way too short”.

“They are never going to have the opportunity to grow up and experience the rest of their firsts like every kid should be able to experience,” he said

“We will never get to know the people that they were meant to become in this life.

“I hope that this inquest can help Your Honour to make findings and recommendations to ensure that something like this never happens again.”

A number of videos of the young children playing were then shown to the court.

A statement from Charmaine McLeod’s family was read by their barrister Rebekah Bassano, who also became emotional.

“Overnight our lives were changed we went from having five grandchildren to just one,” it said.

James McLeod with his children

“The deaths of Charmaine, Aaleyn, Matilda, Wyatt, and Zaidok has had a profound impact on us as each individually and our family as a whole.”

The family said media reporting of the deaths compounded their grief.

“We miss Charmaine and the children deeply. We miss the enjoyment of showering them with gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other anniversaries,” they wrote.

“Each day we wear masks to hide our grief and depression, our sorrow and guilt.

“We have found it difficult to sit and listen to the evidence of this inquest … it breaks our heart to hear what people thought of Charmaine at the time that she was genuinely seeking help for her and her children.

“We are grateful, though, for the thorough investigation into these tragic deaths and we are hopeful for change in the future.

“Through this process, we have hoped to give Charmaine a voice.”

The statement ended with a message Charmaine sent her stepmother one Mother’s Day.

“I know we have had our ups and downs and at times I have been a little shit. But you have proven to be there through it all, no matter what you have accepted me and loved me,” she wrote.

“I’m the mother I am today – a bloody good one – because to be honest, I had you as an example.

“So thank you for stepping in and being that for me.”

The inquest has now finished hearing oral evidence.

Over the following months the parties will make written submissions to Coroner Kerrie O’Callaghan before she delivers her findings.