Mum, then-boyfriend charged over toddler Angela Bannister’s Echuca death

A mother and her boyfriend at the time have been charged with child homicide over the 2008 death of toddler Angela Bannister in a cold case breakthrough for Homicide Squad detectives.

Angela Bannister died in mysterious circumstances.

A mother and her boyfriend at the time have been charged with child homicide over the 2008 death of infant Angela Bannister in a cold case breakthrough for Homicide Squad detectives.

Tania Walker, 35, and Daniel Simmons, 44, were arrested in Echuca this morning following a review of the investigation into Angela’s death.

The pair faced court this afternoon. According to the Riverine Herald, Mr Simmons was remanded in custody to appear before Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on June 12.

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Ms Walker has been remanded in custody and will appear at a bail application in Bendigo tomorrow.

Angela was just one month shy of her second birthday when she died in suspicious circumstances in Echuca on July 19, 2008.

Angela Bannister was just one month shy of her second birthday when she died in suspicious circumstances.

Tania Walker outside Echuca Magistrates’ Court in 2012. Picture: Riverine Herald

In 2012 a coroner ruled Angela died from injuries inflicted by either her stepfather or mother.

Angela was rushed to Echuca Hospital, not breathing and without a pulse.

Her dad Bradley Bannister has always maintained his little girl’s death was the result of ill treatment, not illness.

Coroner Richard Wright ruled the toddler’s injuries were caused either by stepfather Daniel Simmons or mother Tania Walker.

“I couldn’t be happier. It’s a damn big relief,” Mr Bannister said in 2012.

Angela Bannister's grave at Echuca Cemetery.

Mr Bannister said he suspected foul play when Angie was rushed to hospital after being in the care of Ms Walker and Mr Simmons.

On arrival, the girl had more than 20 injuries to her face, chest and body, prompting medical staff to tell the inquest she looked like she had been in a war.

Ms Walker and Mr Simmons denied hurting Angie in any way.

Mr Simmons claimed the girl’s wounds were from a dog attack outside a supermarket the previous day.

But Mr Wright said “the dog attack story was an attempt by Mr Simmons to deflect responsibility”.

“Whether or not there was a dog attack is irrelevant to the question of how Angela Bannister died. The medical evidence is that Angela died of chest injuries,” Mr Wright said.

“The only people in a position to cause these injuries were Walker and Simmons,” he said.

Mr Bannister said in 2012 he hoped to see arrests over the toddler’s death.

“Someone knows what happened to our little baby girl. Someone has to be held accountable,” he said.

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