Loved ones of Zion Ziggy Sean Goltz share memories as mum jailed for manslaugter
Loved ones lay bare memories of Zion’s courage and kindness, telling the court of a boy taken too soon— and their vow to honour his life.
Dubbed a “miracle baby” after having been born fighting for breath, little Zion’s life ended the same way at the very hands that birthed him.
His mother, Louwanna Thyra Goltz, was sentenced today for killing her eight-year-old son in July 2022 - she received a 12-year prison term after pleading guilty to one count of manslaughter.
Those that had the chance to love little Zion Ziggy Sean Goltz shared his life story with the court to paint a picture of what had been taken away from them including paternal grandmother Sharon Holmes spoke of how the family extended to Zion and his foster mother, Beverly Mason, and they all went on holidays together with Zion’s siblings.
”We have vivid memories of our first holiday with our extended family at Bargara for Zion’s first birthday,” she said.
Ms Holmes said they expressed their concerns to authorities about Zion living with his mother again.
Then, during a visit with Zion, Ms Holmes said little Zion “was not our loving, caring, sweet voice” which was “disturbing”.
“His behaviour was somewhat erratic,” she said.
“He found it was very difficult to focus and he said things that we had never heard before.”
Ms Holmes said those included, “I hate school and my teachers”, “You stole my brother and sisters”, and, “I don’t like my dad”.
”We are very sad that Zion’s love of school and his family appeared to be undermined,” she said.
Ms Holmes said Goltz prevented them from contacting or seeing Zion over the next 18 months and Goltz never made contact with her three oldest children.
“The next we heard about Zion was when two police officers came from our home on the 31st of July, 2022 to tell us he was dead and his mother had been charged in relation to his death.”
Ms Holmes described receiving this news as being “beyond our understanding”.
”It was really hard to come to terms with the death of a child, our grandson,” she said.
Ms Holmes said the sense of shock, disbelief, sadness and grief was overwhelming.
“It was unbearable thinking of our little man, that our little man was gone,” she said.
“Trying to explain to the older children what had happened to their brother in an appropriate manner was emotional, heartbreaking, extremely difficult.
“We have spent the last three and a bit years trying to live a good life and fill the gap left by our boy.
“We’ve spent the last three and a bit years trying to help his siblings come to terms with the loss of their brother.
“We have talked and cried, cuddled and laughed, but the sadness, the feeling of helplessness, is always there.”
Ms Holmes said they would never again hear Zion’s voice saying, “Are you okay Grandma?”, “You okay Poppy?”, and there would be no more holidays at the beach with him, no learning to surf like his brother and Poppy and sisters, no starting high school like his older siblings. And the list goes on.
“There is a gaping hole that can’t be filled,” she said.
“We’ve passed so many milestones - ninth, 10th, 11th, birthdays, holidays without Zion, Christmas with no presents to Zion under the tree, and the list goes on.
“Time doesn’t really help.
“Nothing will bring him back, but we need to honour Zion by living our best life.”
It’s not just Zion’s blood relatives who are still struggling to deal with his loss.
The woman he called “Mama” for seven years, who was not allowed to attend his funeral, still struggles with the “tremendous loss”.
Her victim impact statement was read out to the court by crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence.
The court heard Ms Mason said she wrote the VIS because she wanted to be Zion’s voice.
She described Zion as “the most amazing little boy” who was born prematurely and was on oxygen for the first year of his life, “fighting for his breath”.
“I find it very hard to comprehend that for the last part of his life, he was made to fight for his breath again,” Ms Mason said.
“The reason he was born premature was because of the effect of drugs and alcohol taken during gestation.
”I can still see him in the cot (at the hospital) on October 4, 2014.
“He had oxygen tubes taped to his tiny face, but he was the most perfect, most handsome baby I had ever seen.
“He was so perfect and I couldn’t believe I was taking this baby home.
“The moment I saw him, I was gone. I was so in love with this boy.”
She said when she picked him up from the hospital, the nurses commented they thought he wouldn’t survive.
”They said to me later that he was their miracle baby, my little lion, my little fighter,” Ms Mason said.
She said Zion was “a very proud Aboriginal boy” and she ensured he grew up with his cultural heritage, reading him stories and playing Aboriginal music as he went to sleep.
She said Zion’s “totem was the green frog” and he wanted her to teach him how to sew as she made his clothes from First Nations material.
Ms Mason said he helped her bake and he loved taking baked goods to firefighters early in the morning when they were fighting fires in the region.
She said he had the “most beautiful curls” and she was “heartbroken” when she heard they had been shaved off after leaving her care.
Ms Mason said he had been excited to start school and loved going to school and learning.
”At the end, the big fire chief even came up and shook his hand,” she said.
Ms Mason said Goltz never spent time with Zion until about 12 months prior to him leaving Ms Mason’s care.
She said she believed that Goltz only spent time with him then because she had been told to.
Ms Mason said Zion had “impeccable manners” and would hold his pinky out when he drank his juice.
She said he loved Superman, crumbed steak and broccoli.
“He had the best of everything and she (Goltz) took that away,” Ms Mason said.
“Everything I did was for him, always 200 per cent.”
Ms Mason said since Zion’s death, she has had no motivation to get out of bed, sleeps with his blanket and wakes up crying.
She said the pain she felt was “too much” and she questioned everything.
”Every morning he would wake me with a kiss, and I would think, what a beautiful way to start the day,” Ms Mason said.
“He always said, ‘Morning Mama’ and I really miss that.”
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Originally published as Loved ones of Zion Ziggy Sean Goltz share memories as mum jailed for manslaugter
