Melinda Joye Le Miere seeks bail for courthouse knife incident after guilty plea denied

A Queensland court has heard the woman who allegedly brandished a knife outside the courthouse had told health staff she planned to ‘attempt suicide by police’ before her release.

Police and QAS outside the Toowoomba Courthouse after it was placed in lockdown after a woman brandished a knife outside the building, Thursday, August 15, 2024.

The woman who wielded a knife outside the Toowoomba police station and courthouse allegedly told health staff she planned to “attempt suicide by police” just before the incident, a court has heard.

Toowoomba woman Melinda Joye Le Miere, 47, appeared before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with going armed to cause fear and serious assault of a police officer while armed.

Police and QAS outside the Toowoomba Courthouse after it was placed in lockdown after a woman brandished a knife outside the building, Thursday, August 15, 2024.

Appearing with two bruised eyes via video link from the Toowoomba watch house, Ms Le Miere originally intended to plead guilty to both offences.

Those pleas were refused by acting magistrate Michelle Dooley following a mental health assessment from the court liaison service.

The report did not question Ms Le Miere’s capacity to stand trial but suggested a deterioration of her mental health which required further assessment.

“I can’t unpick whether that relates to when the offending occurred, whether it is a situation that has arisen as a result of being in custody or whether it’s something we’re looking to towards the future,” Ms Dooley said.

Ms Le Miere’s solicitor Phil Stainton requested bail be granted on the terms Ms Le Miere would be subject to an immediate involuntary mental health assessment.

“If she is assessed and found that she’s not currently at risk, she would then be released into the community,” Mr Stainton said.

Woman arrested outside Toowoomba Courthouse after brandishing a knife. Picture: NewsCorp Australia

The court also heard Ms Le Miere had been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder since 2006 and lived in a care facility, which she would return to if granted bail.

Police prosecutor Tim Hutton said prosecution was strongly opposed to bail, stating Ms Le Miere was extremely lucky the previous week’s incident had not ended in her death.

“This is extremely serious offending on the highest scale,” Sergeant Hutton said.

“She’s too high risk to be released at this point in time.”

Sgt Hutton added Ms Le Miere had previously been released from mental health facilities, including before the incident took place and after she had been placed in police custody.

“I’m further advised that when she was initially released, or to be released, by mental health she literally articulated what she was going to do, which was attend the police station and attempt suicide by police,” he said.

“They still released her and that’s exactly what she did.”

Ms Dooley denied the bail application, citing an unacceptable risk to the community.

“My concern is that the defendant at this moment could potentially danger the safety and welfare of members of the public,” she said.

“I don’t know if there was an intended victim involved in all of this – I don’t know, perhaps it is she intended herself to be the victim – I don’t know.”

Ms Le Miere’s case will return to Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 27.