Larissa Rita Mae-Leigh Sant granted bail following Kiesha Thompson’s death
A young mum accused of mowing down her boyfriend’s ex-partner also allegedly tried to cover up her actions, a court has been told.
A young mum accused of mowing down her boyfriend’s ex partner with a car in a fatal hit and run will spend Christmas at home after she was granted bail.
Larissa Rita Mae-Leigh Sant, 24, is charged with the murder of Kiesha Thompson, 23, in the Logan suburb of Daisy Hill on July 19.
Ms Thompson died in hospital after she was allegedly struck and killed by a silver Prado being driven by Ms Sant along Allamanda Drive.
Queensland Police also charged Tyler Scott William James, 27, with murder.
The 27-year-old is the former partner of Ms Thompson and is accused of planning and preparing the alleged hit-and-run murder.
It is not alleged he was in the car at the time.
The Crown case will allege Mr James had “conflict” with Ms Thompson and there was a plan formed between him and Ms Sant to kill his former partner.
Ms Sant was granted bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane argued against her release on bail based on the concern Ms Sant could interfere with witnesses, reoffend or flee.
Mr Crane told the court there was a strong case against Ms Sant even if the Crown still had to convince a jury the young mum was behind the wheel of the car that struck Ms Thompson.
The court was told the silver Prado carrying “fake” Victorian licence plates was seen entering Loganholme Village Shopping Centre before it exited the same carpark with other plates.
“There’s been fake plates that’s been placed upon the vehicle by Ms Sant at some point,” Mr Crane said.
Mr Crane told the court the same circumstances of changing the car’s number plates happened two days prior to the fatal hit and run on July 17.
“The inference is that it was either the first attempt to commit the offence,” he said.
The court was told police had found evidence on Ms Sant’s phone of a search history on Facebook marketplace looking up Prados with the same make and model.
“The Victorian plates were on Facebook marketplace,” Mr Crane said.
The court was told Ms Sant had written letters to her mother while on remand about the situation she found herself in since her arrest.
“My future and my kids future is on the line and its so wrong,” Ms Sant wrote in one of her letters, the court was told.
“I don’t want to spend 15 years in here … 15 years is beyond a joke, I just can’t be. I need to get home to them.”
Mr Crane said her letters raised concern for the Crown that she could be at risk of reoffending or not appearing before court if granted bail.
“It’s so serious that there’s pre-mediation, there must exist a risk that there’s potential to reoffend,” he said.
Justice Peter Davis said the letters could be interpreted another way.
“I think you’re reading a lot into it,” Justice Davis said.
“She’s just a woman charged with murder, and she’s sitting in jail away from her children and contemplating she might not see them grow up.”
Mr Crane told the court the case against Ms Sant was “very persuasive”.
“If it is demonstrated that she is in fact the driver of the car, and the Crown says there’s circumstantial evidence that won’t change from this application to the ultimate trial (which) is very persuasive,” he said.
“As much as Your Honour can consider that at this early stage, then the applicant is liable to spend a significant period in actual custody.”
Justice Davis said while he agreed with Mr Crane’s statement, the Crown still had a lot to prove before a jury to convict Ms Sant of murder.
“In the absence of some expression by her on intent to kill … and even if you were to prove premeditation to do something with this car and with the deceased, and even if you prove there was a plan to disguise the Prada, and even if you proved she’s the driver, the Crown is always going to be faced with that she was there to scare her or she was there do something else” he said.
“If the crown proves she’s the driver then the chances of conviction of manslaughter are extremely high.”
Ms Sant’s defence lawyer, Ken McKenzie, told the court his client was not at risk of fleeing the jurisdiction because her children relied on her.
He also told the court Ms Sant’s relationship with her co-accused had since ended and she was unlikely to reoffend because his alleged “influence is no longer there”.
“It’s an extraordinary event,” Mr McKenzie said.
“Your Honour might just take the view that such an extraordinary sequence of events are unlikely to be repeated in a way if the applicant is subject to conditions to monitor and ensure she is (keeping them).”
Justice Davis granted Ms Sant’s bail but imposed strict conditions, including wearing an electronic monitoring device, a curfew, and the use of only one mobile.