Father arrested in relation to baby Beau Bradshaw’s death

A man has been charged over the death of his six-month old baby in Queensland. The baby was found unresponsive at the family home and died two days later.

A Mackay man has been charged over the death of his baby, Beau Bradshaw.

Police today arrested the father at an East Mackay home, more than two months after his six-month-old baby was found unresponsive in the home on June 2.

The 24-year-old man was taken into custody about 2pm and taken to the Mackay police station. Police later said he was charged with murder and grievous bodily harm.

Mackay Detective Acting Inspector Mick Searle confirmed this afternoon that the man arrested was Beau’s father.

Beau Frank Bradshaw was found unresponsive at an East Mackay home on June 2.

Inspector Searle revealed the family, including the father, was very cooperative with police during the investigation, and added it is “very difficult” to imagine the trauma they have gone through in the past two months, in addition to this afternoon’s arrest.

“Understandably they’re very upset, we’ll give them time to process their emotions.”

The man will appear in the Mackay Magistrates Court tomorrow.

Six-month-old Beau died in Townsville Hospital on June 4, two days after he was last seen alive and with family at Far Beach in Mackay.

Baby Beau had visited the beach between 9.30am and 11am on June 2 when detectives say he was healthy and well.

Paramedics were called to Beau’s East Mackay home at 2pm that day, with the baby boy rushed to Mackay Base Hospital from where he was flown that night to Townsville.

It is understood Beau suffered bleeding on the brain and was declared brain dead, with his organs donated.

The chain of events were subject to a complex investigation before Beau’s death was ruled suspicious on June 20, with Detective Acting Inspector Mick Searle appealing for any witnesses at Town Beach the day Beau was there with family to come forward.

Beau Frank Bradshaw had his life support turned off.

TIMELINE:

Tuesday, June 2: Beau Frank Bradshaw is seen with his family at Illawong Beach, or Far Beach, between 9.30am and 11am. He is “quite well”. Later that day, about 2pm, Beau was found unresponsive at his East Mackay home and Queensland Ambulance paramedics are called. He was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital and later that night is flown to Townsville Hospital.

Thursday, June 4: Baby Beau’s organs are donated and his life support is turned off. A Facebook post by family says his time of death of 5.11pm.

Friday, June 5: News breaks of baby Beau’s death, with police confirming the tragedy was under investigation. An online fundraiser is set up by Beau’s family to help cover funeral costs.

Monday, June 8: Beau’s grandmother Joelene Pershouse tells the Daily Mercury the panicked phone call she received from her daughter – Beau’s mother – started one of the worst days of her life. “We are not sure on how or why. I wish people would not say it was child abuse because I have no doubt in my mind that my daughter and my son-in-law would not harm them,” Ms Pershouse said. “They were just the most happy family and the most loving people.”

Beau Frank Bradshaw.

Saturday, June 20: Mackay detectives say Beau’s death is now being treated as suspicious, and revealed a timeline of where the baby had been in the hours before he was found unresponsive in his East Mackay home.

Sunday June 21: The grieving mother of a baby boy who police now say died in suspicious circumstances says she deeply misses her “very loved little boy” and has “no idea what had happened” the day he was found unresponsive in his cot. Beau’s mother Amiah Perhouse-Yasserie said nothing unusual had happened before Beau was found in his crib coughing, blue and semiconscious by his father, Ayden Bradshaw.

Monday, August 3: A man, 24, is arrested after a two-month investigation into Beau’s death.

Note: Beau’s mother is not under investigation.