A Central Qld mum has pleaded guilty to assaulting a nine-year-old boy

A qualified child care worker who had worked at a daycare centre in Central Queensland has been arrested after a concerned witness called police because he was “sick of the (woman) treating her kids poorly”.

A Central Queensland mum has been punished for her crime against a child. Generic image.

A Central Queensland mother has pleaded guilty to assaulting a nine-year-old child in her care, in a case that has been described as “a very sad set of facts”.

The 37-year-old woman, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on December 8 to assault and public nuisance.

The court heard that the woman was the boy’s carer, and he knew her as “Mum.”

The boy was living with the woman in a town in the Banana Shire, under instruction from the Department of Child Safety.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said there were two witnesses in the assault matter – a male witness and a female witness.

He said at 7.45pm on October 21, police were called to a house in relation to a “female punching and kicking her child in the head”.

After arriving at the residence, police spoke to the male witness and the victim child.

“The (male) witness said the child had disclosed to him, that while he (witness) was in prison, the defendant split the child’s head open by throwing a phone at him,” Sgt Ongheen said.

“(The male witness) stated this enraged him and he approached the defendant about this.

“(The male witness) said that the defendant then approached the child over this, and slapped him in the face and punched him in the back of the head.

“(The male witness) said he called the police because he was sick of the defendant treating her kids poorly.”

Sgt Ongheen said police also spoke to the female witness on the night of October 21.

“She said she witnessed the defendant strike the child in the back of the head with her fist,” Sgt Ongheen said.

“Police spoke to the child on the night who stated that his mum, the defendant, had punched and slapped him in the head.

“He stated he was fearful of his mum and he did not want to stay with her anymore.”

In relation to the public nuisance offence, Sgt Ongheen said while police were speaking to the victim child and the male witness, the defendant approached police in a highly intoxicated state.

“The defendant threatened the child in front of police, stating ‘you go with them white c … s, fat Jesus you c. t, and I don’t care about you, I’ll whack you boy,” Sgt Ongheen said.

Sgt Ongheen said the defendant yelled at witnesses while they were talking to police and she said: “I’ll kill you all, kill all you black c … s, you black dogs for calling police, I’ll get you.”

“Police saw the defendant attempt to punch a witness... and had to be physically restrained,” Sgt Ongheen said.

“She was yelling in the presence of children and members of the public as well.”

The victim child was taken to hospital for observation.

“It’s a very sad set of facts,” Sgt Ongheen said.

Solicitor Pierre Lammersdorf said the woman had looked after the victim child since the age of 2.

“She completed Year 11, she was actually a qualified child care worker – she’s got a Certificate III in that regard,” Mr Lammersdorf said.

The court heard that the woman had worked at a daycare centre in Central Queensland and had experienced “struggles with alcohol”.

She had a criminal history.

Mr Lammersdorf repeated what the prosecutor had earlier said, himself describing it as “a very sad set of facts.”

“She (defendant) is very distressed and ashamed at her behaviour,” Mr Lammersdorf said.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale noted that the woman did not have any common assault offences on her history before placing her on 18 months’ probation with conditions.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as A Central Qld mum has pleaded guilty to assaulting a nine-year-old boy