Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua to apply for bail after months in custody on manslaughter charges
A woman accused of causing a triple-fatal crash on the Gold Coast will fight to be granted bail after months in custody on manslaughter charges. Read the latest here.
Police & Courts
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A woman accused of causing a fiery crash that killed three people is set to make a bid for freedom after months in custody.
Southport Magistrates Court was told on Thursday that Uiatu “Joan” Taufua – the mother of NRL players Payne and Klese Haas – would apply for bail on July 7, about six months after her arrest.
The 46-year-old faces three charges of manslaughter and one each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, drink driving, evading police, and unlicensed driving.
Police allege Taufua was seen driving erratically minutes before her Mercedes veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided with an oncoming car at Bonogin in December last year.
All three people in the other vehicle – Chris Fawcett, partner Susan Zimmer, and Susan’s daughter Steffanie – died at the scene.
Taufua was the only survivor.
The Bonogin woman was on parole at the time of the crash after assaulting two security guards at The Star casino. This order was suspended following the fresh charges.
Taufua appeared in court via videolink for this week’s brief mention.
Defence lawyer Nick Hart, of Hart Law Group, told the court he had received the brief of evidence containing about 30 witness statements and video footage.
He said Taufua’s bail application would take about an hour, with his client to again appear remotely from custody.
Taufua’s matter was also listed for a further committal mention on July 27.
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