Strange Taree chilli sauce child poisoning, assault cases in court

Another bizarre case of a child allegedly being poisoned with chilli sauce has emerged in a Mid-North Coast court. Read what we know about the cases so far.

Taree courthouse

A second bizarre case of a child allegedly being poisoned with chilli sauce has emerged in the Taree area as a 36-year-old man faces court on a range of domestic violence charges.

The man, who cannot be identified to protect the alleged victim, sat quietly by himself in Taree Local Court court on Tuesday as his case was mentioned.

He is on bail charged with common assault and stalking or intimidation intending to cause fear of physical or mental harm (using Tabasco sauce) in the early evening of June 10, 2022 in a rural area northwest of Taree.

The defendant is also charged with administering poison (tabasco sauce) intending to injure or cause distress at the same rural location between February 1 and February 28 this year.

All three charges relate to the same alleged victim listed as a “young person” in documents tendered to court.

The man is yet to enter a plea and the case has been adjourned to July 18.

A Manning Valley man accused of administering poison (Tabasco sauce) to a young person.

It comes just weeks after another case involving the alleged use of chilli sauce to poison a child came before the same court/

On June 5, the court heard the first case related to a child aged between six and seven and two co-accused – one the alleged victim’s mother.

When the matter came before Magistrate Allison Hawkins she criticised police for “unreasonable delays”.

A 34-year-old Taree man faced court charged with three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one charge of administering poison (chilli sauce, as outlined in court documents) with the intent to injure or cause distress.

Those offences are alleged to have occurred at Taree between 3pm on September 16 and 9am on September 19 last year. The man pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His case was listed for hearing on June 5, but the court heard police took “a gamble” the 24-year-old mother would plead guilty to her alleged part in offending.

It’s alleged chilli sauce was used as a poison. Picture: iStock

The officer in charge of the case told the court the mother had made certain admissions and the assumption was she would be pleading guilty, avoiding the need for a hearing.

Ms Hawkins told the court “pleas cannot always be anticipated”.

She said the woman changed her plea to not guilty and the officer had not kept the court updated on the progress of the case.

“This is a debacle,” Ms Hawkins told the court.

The mother pleaded not guilty to three charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one charge of administering poison (chilli sauce) with the intent to injure or cause distress.

Ms Hawkins adjourned to September 26 so the two cases could be dealt with at the same time and the child could avoid repeatedly giving evidence.