Family of Annie Smith attend court as killer carer Rosa Maria Maione’s bail allowed to continue

Annie Smith’s family has come face-to-face with killer carer Rosa Maria Maione for the first time – and they had some strong words for her.

Glenn Smith and his family attended the Supreme Court on Monday hoping for answers to the questions that have plagued them since April 2020.

He still struggles to understand why his beloved niece, Annie, was left to die in squalid conditions by Rosa Maria Maione – the woman paid and trusted to care for her.

Tragically, Maione’s brief court appearance yielded no answers for Mr Smith, but did provide the first opportunity to see his niece’s killer face-to-face.

Asked, outside court, how that felt, Mr Smith said: “To be honest, not good.”

“We’ve seen photos of her but to see her face-on … it's a bit confronting,” he said.

“She’s someone’s mother, someone’s grandmother … to look at her and to know what’s she done is pretty hard.

“How can a human being do that to another human being? How? Why? Which is what we were hoping to get some idea of today.

“Once the sentencing goes through, we will get the answers as best we can – until then, we really just don’t know.”

UPDATE: Glenn Smith, uncle of Annie Smith says he feels like killer carer Rosa Maria Maione deserves to be "hung, drawn and quartered" for her crime. Maione will face court again in December. @theTiser#truecrimepic.twitter.com/tGgw2lwUyb

— Sean Fewster (@SeanFewster) September 20, 2021

One of his many questions, he said, was whether any prison term could truly be an adequate punishment for Maione’s cruel neglect.

“It makes me feel like going out and doing the Edward V where they hung, draw and quarter people, that’s what I feel like doing to Maione,” he said.

“I don’t know that there is one (a reasonable punishment) … she’ll get incarcerated for however long, but I don’t know what’s reasonable.

“How can a person like that do that and then receive an adequate sentence?”

BREAKING: Former carer Rosa Maria Maione, who has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Annie Smith, arrives at the Supreme Court in #Adelaide with her lawyer. #[e-mail]/0EH5Dp1faK

— Sean Fewster (@SeanFewster) September 19, 2021

Rosa Maria Maione, right, and her lawyer Stephen Ey, left, outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dean Martin.

In July, Maione, 69, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter, admitting she unlawfully killed Ms Smith.

She was arrested following a painstaking investigation by a 17-strong Major Crime task force, dubbed “Giles”.

Ms Smith, 54, died in Royal Adelaide Hospital the day after Maione called an ambulance to her Kensington Park home.

She died from profound septic shock, multiple organ failure from severe pressure sores and malnutrition, having been admitted with severe ulcerated and infected tissue.

Police alleged Maione left Ms Smith living in a putrid, almost sedentary state – and without nourishing food – for most of a year.

Annie Smith. Picture: Disability Royal Commission.

Investigating police described her death as “tragic and most likely preventable”, saying she had been left in “disgusting and degrading” circumstances.

Previously, the court heard police were searching for $35,000 worth of custom jewellery and a large cash inheritance left to Ms Smith.

They were also investigating who took out $70,000 worth of loans in her name.

Ms Smith’s death was also examined by the disability royal commission and sparked a major state inquiry.

In May, Maione’s former employer – Integrity Care SA – blocked the ongoing investigation by claiming legal professional privilege over all material seized from its offices.

In July its director, Amy June Collins, was banned for life from working in the disability services industry.

Despite the seriousness of the charge, Maione has remained on bail since shortly after her arrest. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dean Martin.

When Maione pleaded guilty, prosecutors told the court they would likely seek to have her bail cancelled at her next appearance.

Monday’s hearing, however, ended without any mention being made of Maione’s ongoing liberty from custody.

Justice Anne Bampton remanded her on continuing bail to face sentencing submissions in December.

Outside court, Mr Smith said the family was “a bit disappointed” Maione’s bail had continued, but that prosecutors had explained it was necessary.

“(Defence counsel) are doing a lot of reports which, if she’s in jail, they can’t get to (her),” he said.

“So they need her, that’s all they’re telling us at this stage.”

He said the family had yet to be told the full circumstances surrounding Ms Smith’s death.

“How? How can (Maione) do it? You tell me … we’re still trying to come to grips with that, we don’t understand it,” he said.

“Of course she knew (Ms Smith was suffering), she would have to have, a bloody moron would have to have worked that out.

“The sight, the smell, it’s all obvious … how can you not know … you look after animals better than human beings in that respect.”

Mr Smith said Maione’s confession had provided only small comfort.

“It was a bit of relief in one way, that she’s finally stood up to be counted, but a bit of pessimism because it’s too late,” he said.

“Why not stand up at the first (hearing)? Why do it in the first bloody place? But at least she’s stood up and put her hand up and said ‘yes, I did it’.”

He said the family still had concerns about Maione’s former employers, and were angry with those overseeing the NDIS.

“There are no stopgaps, no checks, no nothing,” he said.

Mr Smith said he hoped his niece would be remembered as a bright, cheerful “battler”.

“Apart from her disability – which she never accepted anyway – Annie was always bright and cheery … she could be narky at times but that’s a family trait,” he said.

“She never – never ever – bemoaned her situation … she never, ever, said ‘woe is me’ or complained about anything.

“She just took it all, even from a baby … her life expectancy was well below what she got … she probably got 20 years beyond any medical expectancy.”

Originally published as Family of Annie Smith attend court as killer carer Rosa Maria Maione’s bail allowed to continue