Wide Bay Burnett mothers in court
From a private school swimming carnival stoush or girls’ night out gone wrong to other drug or robbery offences, these are some of the mums you don’t want to mess with across the Wide Bay Burnett.
Police & Courts
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From throwing scooters and smashing windows, shoplifting, fraud, drugs or vicious assault, these are some mothers who took the law into their hands - and it went terribly wrong.
NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Bree Robyn Walsh
A private school mother who grabbed another mother around the throat at a swimming carnival at the Gympie Aquatic Centre was fined $1000 for common assault.
Bree Robyn Walsh, 34, of Pie Creek, pleaded guilty on February 27, 2023 in Gympie Magistrates Court and was convicted of assaulting another Victory College mother during the carnival on November 4, 2022.
The court heard how Walsh grabbed the other mother “around the throat with her hands and pushed her backwards into a pole”.
It heard both women had children at the school and had known each other for six years, during which time their sons had been friends.
Police prosecutor Christie Mahoney said conflict arose between the two boys, who were no longer friends, and there had been allegations of bullying.
The victim had seen Walsh at the swimming carnival, stopped her for a chat, and asked her if she was telling people she was leaving Victory College because of the victim’s son, the court heard.
Walsh, a businesswoman and mother of three, had told police the conversation became heated, with yelling and swearing, it heard.
Sgt Mahoney told the court Walsh responded by asking the victim ‘who had told her that’ and that her son was “a f------ c---”.
“The victim said that offended them. She said to the defendant (Walsh), ‘you can’t talk about my son like that’.
“The defendant replied, ‘I can because I’m telling you to your face, and your son is a little f------ mongrel.
“The victim reported that the defendant grabbed her around the throat with her hands and pushed her backwards into a pole and banged her head into the pole about four times,” Sgt Mahoney said.
Walsh told the police the victim’s husband had made previous threats “to kill her and her family while they slept. He would ram his truck into their house”.
To break up the dispute, a primary school teacher had to pry them apart, the court heard.
The court heard how for the past few years Mrs Walsh’s eldest son had been severely bullied, mainly by the victim’s son, was suffering major anxiety, refused to go to school as he was scared of physical harm and constant humiliation, and was on medication for his nerves.
Walsh had tried “all options to help her son, including addressing the bullying with the school but with no avail,” Ms Maritz said.
“Your behaviour is appalling,” Magistrate Chris Callaghan said before he gave a sentence.
Walsh was fined $1000.
Read the full story.
CONVICTIONS RECORDED, NO TIME SERVED
Amy Leigh Foster
A 33-year-old hairdresser narrowly avoided jail after pleading guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on July 18, 2023, to stealing fishing gear from Noosa BCF for a man she met online, using her baby’s pram to conceal the goods.
The court heard that on February 15, 2023, Foster carried her year-old child and used the baby’s pram to conceal and steal $109.90 worth of fishing gear for a person she had met on an online dating app.
Her defence solicitor Chris Anderson said becoming a mother was a “strong motivating factor” for Foster to engage in rehabilitation services.
Queensland Corrective Officer Sinead Johns said Foster had “remained ambivalent” to drug rehabilitation, “not engaged in meaningful intervention during her parole period” and “was recommended as being unsuitable for community based orders”.
“I have no drug test to indicate that she stopped taking drugs, I have no evidence that she’s even made that (drug rehabilitation) appointment,” Magistrate Raelene Ellis said.
Foster, in bursts of tears, stood as Ms Ellis read out her sentence, quoting the case of Anderson, where a woman was sent to jail for three months after shoplifting at Coles in order to feed herself.
“Firstly, I don’t agree that an actual term of imprisonment would be manifestly excessive,” she said.
“She had 13 dishonesty offences and I noticed you have 16 dishonesty offences on your history.”
“Next time bring your toothbrush,” she warned.
Convictions were recorded, and Foster was sentenced to an intensive correction order for three months.
Read the full story here.
Laikin Emily Judith Bond
The mother of two young children brazenly stole $355 worth of groceries from a supermarket two months after being found with drugs in her possession.
Appearing before Maryborough Magistrates Court on August 29, 2023, the court heard that police pulled over Laikin Emily Judith Bond in April 2023 for driving while disqualified when they found a cannabis grinder and 1.39 grams of the drug in her handbag.
In June, Bond and an associate went through the self-checkout at Maryborough’s Woolworths supermarket without paying for a large amount of the items in their trolley.
When supermarket staff spoke to the two women and asked them to provide proof of purchase, they pushed past the staff members and left the store.
Police were called to the scene, and found Bond and her associate in the supermarket car park.
Bond’s defence lawyer told the court she had two young children and was receiving the single parent payment from Centrelink.
Bond pleaded guilty and was convicted on charges of possessing dangerous drugs, possessing drug utensils, disqualified driving and stealing, and was fined $1700 and disqualified from driving for three years.
Convictions were recorded.
Read the full story.
Mele Lineti Sanipepa Cross
A Mundubbera mother of three children collected more than $60,000 a year in Centrelink payments while dealing drugs to around 40 clients across the Burnett.
Appearing before Bundaberg Supreme Court on February 14, 2023, the court heard Mele Lineti Sanipepa Cross earned an estimated $100,000 while dealing meth and cannabis over a 14-month period while feeding her own drug habits.
Cross also claimed $60,000 in sole parent payments from Centrelink while living in a house she shared with her husband and three children.
The court heard Cross had shown academic promise as a child, and was a gifted musician who gained entry to a high school with a specialised music curriculum.
Cross’ life started to go off the rails at the age of 11, when her two oldest brothers were killed in a hit and run incident, a crime which remained unsolved, and lost most of her family in a Brisbane house fire that killed 11 people.
Following these tragic experiences, the court heard Cross suffered from “survivors guilt” and began to use drugs recreationally while studying on a scholarship at Griffith University.
Cross pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and theft and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended, and convictions were recorded.
Krystle Geraldine Fleming
A mother of two children, one of whom has special needs, kept drugs in her home while receiving a carer’s benefit.
Appearing before Maryborough Magistrates Court on September 12, 2023, the court was told that police found one gram of cannabis, 1.03 grams of MDMA and a pipe when they raided Krystle Geraldine Fleming’s home in May 2023.
The court heard Fleming had a young daughter with special needs as well as a young son, and was receiving a carer’s benefit so was able to pay a fine.
Fleming pleaded guilty and was convicted of possessing utensils or pipes used in connection with a drug and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, and fined $800.
Convictions were recorded.
Read the full story here.
Natasha Rose Smallwood
A Kingaroy mum smashed a windscreen with a golf club and a window with her child’s scooter in an angry attack.
Natasha Rose Smallwood pleaded guilty before the Kingaroy Magistrates Court on January 12, 2023 to two charges of wilful damage to vehicles, following two isolated incidents towards the end of 2022.
Police prosecutor Lisa Manns told the court about 7.15am on October 1, 2022, Smallwood went to her brother’s house yelling and screaming at her sister-in-law that she was going to harm her.
“As the defendant’s brother approached her she removed a golf club from her vehicle and approached a white Mitsubishi parked out the front of the drive and hit the windscreen with the golf club, smashing it,” Sgt Manns said.
“She continued to swear, curse and be abusive towards her sister-in-law.
“The second incident was on November 21 at approximately 8am where police attended Haly Street in Kingaroy in relation to a disturbance.
“The victim’s 2021 white Toyota Prado was damaged.
“Smallwood made admissions to hitting the victim’s vehicle with her child’s scooter causing the side window to shatter,” she said.
The 35-year-old claimed she hit the vehicle because the driver failed to give way to her and her children at the pedestrian crossing.
Her legal representative Sjaana Stephens said she had suffered from homelessness, anxiety and depression for nine years.
Smallwood was sentenced to 12 months of parole with the condition she attend anger management counselling.
Convictions were recorded.
Read the full story here.
Sky Samantha McKenzie
A teenage mother kicked, bit and spat at security officers and police while out on the town at a Bundaberg nightclub.
Appearing before Bundaberg Magistrates Court on October 24, 2023, the court heard Sky Samantha McKenzie was intoxicated at Bundaberg’s Central Hotel when she was asked by security to leave the premises soon after midnight.
McKenzie refused to leave, kicking at the legs of one security officer and biting the arm of another when he put her into a “bear hug”.
Once outside, McKenzie went on “abhorrent” tirade, yelling at club attendees and pedestrians before police arrived.
When police tried to arrest her, she wrapped her legs around a street pole while yelling obscenities at them including “I hope you f---ing die c — t”.
The court heard as officers untangled her from the pole and placed her in the car, the 19-year-old spat at them.
McKenzie’s defence lawyer told the court she had been prescribed medication for anxiety and depression prior to the offending, and had been advised not to drink alcohol on the medication.
McKenzie pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months jail, wholly suspended for nine months for serious assault, placed on two years probation for assault occasioning bodily harm, six months probation for common assault, convicted and not further punished for failing to leave the pub and sentenced to 60 hour community service for each charge of public nuisance and obstructing police.
Convictions were recorded.
Read the full story.
Bundaberg mother of seven
A mother of seven threatened to kill her partner because her 18-year-old son had not been cleaning his room, a Bundaberg court heard.
The woman, who cannot be identified due to being a respondent to a domestic violence order, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on December 15, 2023 to contravening the order which had been made against her by her partner in 2019.
Police prosecutor Leon Casey told the court the woman, 54, was upset that her 18-year-old son had not been cleaning his bedroom and had been drinking Jim Beam in his room, and an argument ensued between her and her partner.
Mr Casey told the court that in her statement to police the woman said her partner was “screaming at her”, in response to which she said “OK I’ll come and kill you first”.
Following this exchange, the court heard the woman started smashing on her son’s bedroom door while threatening to break the door down.
The court heard the woman was the primary financial support for all her seven children, and had been experiencing difficulties with her oldest son in addition to the 18-year-old involved in the incident.
Ms Maloy told the court the woman had been “disappointed” in her son’s behaviour, in particular with his drinking “large amounts” of alcohol and smoking in his room.
She was a very proud woman and proud of her family, and the argument with her partner was borne out of her frustration with her son’s “lack of motivation to live in society”, the court heard.
Magistrate Edwina Rowan told the woman she acknowledged the frustration with her son’s lack of motivation, but “threats to kill” are not appropriate particularly given she is a respondent to a DVO.
The woman was convicted of one count of contravention of domestic violence order (aggravated offence) and fined $400.
Read the full story.
Tamika Rae Geiger
The shocking moments a Gympie man was stabbed while trying to stop a couple from stealing his car in broad daylight have been laid bare in court as the duo were sentenced to jail.
Tamika Rae Geiger, 27, and her co-offender pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court on August 1, 2023, to multiple charges stemming from the 2022 attack.
Crown prosecutor Annica Fritz told the court when the 47-year-old victim arrived at Geiger and her co-offender’s house he started talking with Geiger in her bedroom.
During their conversation her co-offender walked into the room carrying a knife and asked “where’s your drugs?”
The court heard the victim had to be taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where the stab wound was sutured and blood drained from his lungs.
Geiger pleaded guilty to armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and a number of good behaviour-related offences, including three counts of possessing dangerous drugs, two counts of failing to properly dispose of a syringe, processing utensils, driving without a licence (and despite having never held one), unregistered driving, and failure to appear.
Geiger, who has a son, had accumulated a criminal history seven pages long since she turned 19, the court was told.
She was given two-and-a-half years jail with immediate parole.
TIME SERVED
Alicia Jill McDonald
A mother and Westpac bank employee defrauded four customers of more than $176,000 and used the stolen funds to pay for holidays, hair appointments and even a Harley Davidson motorbike.
Appearing before Gympie District Court on October 19, 2023, the court heard Alicia Jill McDonald, 35, stole the money in 120 separate transactions from four customers over a 14-month period from March 2018 to May 2019.
The mother of three used the money at hair salons and licensed premises, on holidays, to buy jewellery and toys, and to help with obtaining finance for the purchase of a 2009 Harley Davidson and a 2014 Suzuki car.
McDonald pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.
She was sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ jail, to be suspended for five years after she served 12 months.
Kimberly Jane Burns
A Bundaberg mother of five lured a man to her home before taking part in a terrifying robbery where the victim was in “such a state of fear” he begged not to be killed.
Kimberley Jane Burns, 38 already had a seven-page criminal history when she pleaded guilty on August 29, 2023 to a string of charges including armed robbery in company with personal violence.
Crown prosecutor Ryan Minuti told the Bundaberg District Court Burns and a co-offender had “lured” their victim to her home on the premise of a “casual meet up” on January 28, 2023
“However, when the [man] arrived he was ambushed by the co-offender,” Mr Minuti said
“It soon became clear Burns had lured the [man] there for the purposes of the ambush.”
The court heard Burns then grabbed a “large, black handled knife” and, walking towards the victim, said “you won’t f--k with me again.”
Mr Minuti told the court Burns flicked the knife towards the man which caused a small cut on his face.
Burns’ co-accused grabbed the knife and made a stabbing motion towards the man before Burns reached out and said “don’t stab him here, my daughter is right here on the couch”.
As the victim was trying to call his wife in the hopes of getting some money transferred to his account, Burns’ co-accused grabbed the phone “as payment.”
Burns pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance, one count of contravening direction or requirements from police; an evasion offence, and three counts of driving without a licence.
Judge Tony Moynihan sentenced Burns to two years in jail for the robbery, with a parole date of November 29, 2023.
Her 212 days of presentence custody declared as time served and her licence was disqualified for three years.
Read the full story here.
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