Tamara Leigh Birch remanded in custody after breaching strict ‘no contact’ court orders

The 30-year-old Chinchilla mum is accused of committing offences while on bail for other alleged offences and was refused bail.

A Chinchilla mother who allegedly breached court orders in an attempt to see her children has been remanded in custody.

Tamara Leigh Birch had been held in the Toowoomba watch house since Friday, last week, while a suitable bail address could be sought.

The 30-year-old appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 2, via video link from the watch house to hear police prosecutor Derek Brady, appearing via video link from Dalby Police Station, tell the court that neither of the bail addresses in Chinchilla provided by Ms Birch were suitable.

Sergeant Brady said Chinchilla police had checked out both addresses and the occupants of those residences didn’t know Ms Birch.

The woman was refused bail after appearing before Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

However, police knew that Ms Birch had attended a flat in the block of units she had nominated and asked a resident who knew Ms Birch whether she could stay there and that resident told police she was not welcome there, he said.

Duty lawyer Alysha Jacobsen, of Bouchier Khan Lawyers, told the court Ms Birch had struggled with suitable accommodation and homelessness since being released from custody on December 7, 2023, and she had been staying in motels.

Ms Birch instructed she had obtained work with a landscaping/lawn mowing business in Chinchilla which would help with her rehabilitation and getting her life back on track, she said.

However, Magistrate Kay Ryan noted Ms Birch was in a show cause situation as she had allegedly committed offences while on bail for other alleged offences.

Ms Ryan noted among the allegations was that Ms Birch had repeatedly attended a home in Chinchilla where a family member was caring for one of her children which was in breach of strict court orders that she not attend that residence.

The 30-year-old had also failed to report to police as part of her bail, she said.

Ms Ryan revoked all bail and remanded Ms Birch in custody to appear via video link before Chinchilla Magistrates Court on January 25.