Mum of a three-year old boy charged with domestic violence assaults, breaches

A Queensland woman is accused of trying to punch her mother-in-law while holding her child in her other hand, and threatening to stab her partner. See why prosecutors want her in custody.

A mum of a three-year-old was refused bail over several alleged assaults against her partner in front of their child. This photo does not represent the parties involved.

A Whitsunday woman accused of “confronting her child to violence” and of repeatedly assaulting her ex-partner and mother-in-law has sought bail before a court.

The 23 year-old mother of a three-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of various assaults in a domestic relationship and of contravening a domestic violence order over a month period, between April 15 and May 13 in Bowen.

She fronted the Bowen Magistrates Court over videolink in tears, as her application for bail was contested by the prosecution.

“Directly confronted her child to violence”

Prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors told the court the most concerning part of her behaviour was how she had “directly confronted her child to violence”, as he had been present in most instances.

The prosecutor added that the charges showed it was more than a “one off” incident, but rather had been occurring over an extended period of time.

On April 16, the 23-year-old mum allegedly became violent with her partner over an argument on their child’s health, as she accused him of drugging the child.

She allegedly hit him with a chair and threatened to smash a window with the same chair if he tried to leave the unit.

The partner likely sustained “multiple bruisings” in the incident, the court heard.

On May 8, she and ex-partner were heading to the hospital to visit their child whose arm was broken, and she allegedly punched her partner in the head multiple times and threatened to stab him.

Sergeant Myors said it was concerning the child was “seriously injured in the care of [his parents]” as he had required hospitalisation and surgery.

The prosecutor added that the child was now in the care of the department.

The woman’s partner sustained lumps to his head and bruises to his right eye as a result of the alleged assault.

On May 13, as she was picking up her child from her mother-in-law’s, she allegedly tried to punch her while holding her child in her arms.

On the same day, she allegedly punched her ex-partner in the street while he “grabbed on a pole” as she attempted to drag him away.

The partner was allegedly taken into hospital to treat bruisings and a scratch to his groin.

“Unlikely period of imprisonment”

ATSILS solicitor Philip Moore told the court that “without downplaying the seriousness of the charges”, it was unlikely the mother would serve a period of imprisonment as she had no prior history of violence on her record in the last three years and had no prior custodial sentences.

He told the court some of the acts of violence or attempted violence were in circumstances where her child was taken into care by the state.

He also said there were differences of recollection regarding “when the child’s arm was broken”.

“My client says this was when the child was in the care of one of the aggrieved,” Mr Moore told the court.

“There are simply things that are not known at the moment.”

He added that she could be staying at an accommodation in Proserpine if bail was granted and that she had agreed to go to counselling.

Magistrate Michelle Howard told both defence and prosecution she could not make a decision on the spot and adjourned the case to the next day.

The young mum was refused bail in front of the Proserpine Magistrates Court on May 15.

Originally published as Mum of a three-year old boy charged with domestic violence assaults, breaches