Twist in Supreme Court case against NRL star’s mum Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua
There has been a twist in the case of an NRL star’s mother, who is charged with manslaughter over a triple-fatal crash.
A twist has up-ended a long-running manslaughter case against the mother of an NRL star.
Uiatu “Joan” Taufua – the mother of Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas and Gold Coast Titans player Klese Haas – fronted Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday.
Police allege Ms Taufua fled from a patrol car at Bonogin on the Gold Coast on December 30, 2022, before ploughing into an oncoming vehicle.
All three occupants, Susan Zimmer, her daughter Steffanie, and Ms Zimmer’s former partner Chris Fawcett, were killed, with Ms Taufua the sole survivor.
Wearing a floral dress with her hair tied up, Ms Taufua was expected to be arraigned on three manslaughter charges laid over the triple-fatal collision.
Instead, her defence team revealed they had received a doctor’s report on Wednesday and immediately sought a referral to the mental health court.
Barrister Martin Longhurst told the court the report suggested potential grounds for the case to proceed under Section 27 of the Mental Health Act, commonly referred to as an insanity defence.
Crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac described the mental health application as “extraordinary” given the length of time the case had been running, noting the heavy toll on the victims’ families.
“Other than that there is nothing else I can say,” Ms Kovac said.
“Of course an arraignment cannot take place today.”
Justice Elizabeth Wilson confirmed the arraignment – in which defendants typically enter pleas to the charges – could not proceed.
The matter has faced lengthy delays through the past year as psychiatric assessments, digital evidence, and further submissions were sought.
Previous hearings were told Ms Taufua’s defence team needed time to obtain backups from her iCloud to provide to an interstate psychiatrist preparing a report.
The case first reached the Supreme Court after she was committed to stand trial in 2024, with families of those killed in the crash regularly attending each hearing.
The case has now been adjourned until February 12, 2026.
