Murder case against Jessica Blinda Hanbury, Adam Hanbury discontinued

For the past 14 months a Queensland mum and dad have had murder charges hanging over their heads - accused of neglecting their daughter’s health, causing her death. Now, there’s been a major shift.

Parents Jessica and Adam Hanbury were accused of murder after their two-year-old daughter died on Thursday, December 29, 2022. The case has now been discontinued. Picture: Fergus Gregg

Murder charges have been dropped against Mackay parents who had been accused of causing the death of their youngest daughter.

For the past 14 months Jessica Blinda Polsoni Hanbury and Adam Hanbury have faced the prospect of a life sentence if convicted of murdering their two-year-old daughter Diana.

However, this week, prosecutors dropped the murder case against the duo, determining there were “no reasonable prospects” of proving the charge.

The couple was charged with murder in February 2024 after a lengthy and complicated investigation following Diana’s death in 2022.

Police had alleged the little girl, who was the youngest of six children, was already dead when she was taken to Mackay Base Hospital about 8pm on December 29.

It was further alleged Diana had been unwell in the days before she was taken to the emergency department where hospital staff tried to resuscitate her.

Jessica Blinda Polsoni Hanbury continuously maintained her innocence after being charged. Picture: Fergus Gregg

Police charged Mr and Ms Hanbury with murder under the expanded definition that included allegations of reckless indifference to the child’s health.

It is understood the child also had a serious underlying health condition at the time of her death.

Throughout the process Ms Hanbury maintained her innocence and alleged the proceedings had been “compromised to the highest levels”.

When contacted by the Daily Mercury, she declined to comment.

In October their cases were committed to the supreme court, giving crowns prosecutions six months to formally indict them. That deadline was up in early April.

An Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions spokeswoman this week confirmed the criminal case would not be proceeding.

“After careful consideration of the admission evidence, including the relevant expert medical evidence, it was concluded that there were no reasonable prospects of success proving the charge of murder beyond a reasonable doubt in respect to both Mr and Mrs Hanbury,” the ODPP spokeswoman said.

Diana’s death will be referred to the Coroner’s Court.

Jessica Blinda Polsoni Hanbury leaves Mackay courthouse after the murder charge against her was committed to the supreme court.

This is the third death-related criminal case in the Mackay region crown prosecutors have opted not to proceed with in the past seven months.

A manslaughter case against amateur pilot Peter Thomas McDougall charged over the death of his passenger when a Christmas Eve joy flight turned to tragedy.

The pair had been taking what was intended to be a scenic flight over islands off the coast of Ball Bay, north of Mackay, when the amateur-built two-seater Jodel D11 light aircraft encountered engine trouble and crash-landed on the beach about 7.30am in December 2021.

Mr McDougall was charged in March 2023 and his case was committed to the supreme court in May 2024.

After six months, in November, the ODPP decided not to present and indictment, determining it did not have reasonable prospects of success after considering all the admissible evidence.

Six week earlier the ODPP also decided not to pursue an unrelated murder charge against Mackay father Ayden Bradshaw, who spent about 18 months in custody and just under two years on strict supreme court bail, over the death of his six-month-old son Beau Bradshaw.

Baby Beau was found unresponsive at his East Mackay home on June 2, 2020 and died in hospital two days later.

Mr Bradshaw was originally committed on a murder charge, however in late September 2024 the DPP confirmed the case against him had been discontinued after a review of the admissible evidence and it was determined the crown no longer “had reasonable prospects of success”.

Originally published as Murder case against Jessica Blinda Hanbury, Adam Hanbury discontinued