Tablelands mum charged with ‘deliberately’ crashing car with baby, three children inside

A Far North Queensland woman has been charged with attempted murder after police allege she deliberately crashed a car with a baby and three other children inside.

A Tablelands mother has been charged with attempted murder after deliberately crashing into a road sign on the Kennedy Highway with a car loaded full of passengers.

A Far North Queensland woman has been charged with attempted murder after police allege she deliberately crashed a car with a baby and three other children inside.

Detectives from the Tablelands Child Protection and Investigation Unit have charged a Tablelands woman with attempted murder and other assault offences in relation to two separate events on June 26 and 27.

In the early hours of June 26, police allege the woman was driving along the Kennedy Highway near Atherton with five passengers in the car before deliberately crashing it into a road sign.

The passengers included a man and four children.

Police further allege one of the children at the time of the crash was in the car’s boot and not properly restrained.

There were no major injuries and the group left the scene.

Police were later made aware of the abandoned vehicle when a member of the public sighted the car by the side of the road in daylight

The next day, on June 27, police were called to a Tablelands property to follow up reports of two children being injured.

A crime scene was established at the property and the children were taken to Cairns Hospital for treatment.

Detective Inspector Jason Chetham described the events surrounding the alleged harm to children as “very disturbing.”

“The accident was deliberately caused by the woman in an (alleged) attempt to kill the children,” he said.

Inspector Chetham said the number plates of the crashed vehicle had been removed from the car and police later pieced together what is now alleged after neighbours raised concerns about the welfare of the children.

The charged woman has undergone a mental health assessment.

Cairns Police Inspector Jason Chetham described allegations as “very disturbing.” Picture: Brendan Radke

Subsequent investigations revealed the woman assaulted the two children, police have alleged.

The woman has been charged with multiple offences, including five counts of attempted murder (domestic violence offence), and one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed (domestic violence), assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence), disqualified driving, and driving a motor vehicle while passenger not in part designed for carriage of passengers.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski described the incidents as an “unusual set of circumstances”.

Asked whether initial investigations suggested the children were at risk prior to June 26, Mr Gollschewski said: “that is something that will form part of our investigation, obviously it is very early days”.

“I commend the police for what they have done, that was an unusual set of circumstances,” he said.

The accused, who did not appear in person, had her matter mentioned in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Thursday where the case was adjourned until August 30 at 11am.

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Originally published as Tablelands mum charged with ‘deliberately’ crashing car with baby, three children inside