‘No accident’: Daycare hit-run deemed a domestic violence murder

A woman accused of targeting a young mother in a fatal hit-run attack will remain behind bars after her case was mentioned in court.

Police allege Kiesha Thompson, 23, was deliberately struck by a four-wheel-drive after dropping her daughter at daycare in Daisy Hill, south of Brisbane, on Friday.

Thompson died in hospital that night, and police later charged Larissa Rita Mae-Leigh Sant, 24, with her murder. It has been deemed a domestic violence offence, although Thompson and Sant were not in a relationship.

Police allege Kiesha Thompson, 23, was the victim of a domestic violence murder.Credit: GoFundMe

“We will allege that that event was not in fact an accident, and the young lady who has tragically lost her life was, in fact, targeted,” Detective Inspector Chris Knight told reporters on Sunday.

Sant was remanded in custody after her matter was mentioned in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday.

She was not able to apply for bail due to the serious nature of the charge.

Police said they seized a damaged silver Toyota Prado at Goodna, west of Brisbane, on Saturday while the 24-year-old was arrested a few suburbs away at Yamanto.

Knight would not comment on the domestic violence aspect of the case. There have been unconfirmed reports Sant was dating Thompson’s former partner.

Police are appealing for dashcam footage and asked the driver, owner or passengers on a white, unbranded bus seen in the vicinity shortly before 9am on Friday to come forward.

Sant’s matter has been adjourned, and will return to Beenleigh Magistrates Court on July 31.

In a video message on Monday afternoon, Thompson’s aunt, Amanda Matthias, said her niece was walking on the footpath when she was struck by a vehicle that had been allegedly “waiting for her for some time”.

“We are deeply grateful for those who worked tirelessly to save her,” Matthias said.

“We are struggling to understand why anyone would commit such a cruel act.”

Other family members paid tribute to Thompson, describing her as a devoted mother who had a difficult life, in the video distributed by the police media unit.

A GoFundMe appeal has been established to raise money for Thompson’s daughter.

AAP, with Sean Parnell