Family tells of traumatic loss

ELLY Audet’s family is hurting — but resilient.

a photo of Carmel Nettlefold taken in 2013. Picture: SUPPLIED

ELLY Audet’s family is hurting — but resilient.

Yesterday the Hobart mother of four bravely fronted a coronial inquest to speak of the loss of her mother-in-law Carmel Nettlefold.

The much-loved 71-year-old grandmother was killed during her morning walk at New Town on October 4, 2014. Alcoholic drug addict Robert Frederick Bowden, 50, last year pleaded guilty to Mrs Nettlefold’s manslaughter after admitting shoving her on to the road as she waited at a traffic island.

He is serving a maximum eight-year prison sentence for the senseless and unprovoked daylight attack.

Unable to brace for the fall, Mrs Nettlefold hit the road surface headfirst, developed inoperable bleeding on the brain and died in the Royal Hobart Hospital four days later.

For Ms Audet, the coronial inquest was an opportunity to publicly honour the selfless and vibrant woman who moved from Queensland to support her family after the sudden death of her son Lenny — Ms Audet’s husband.

Ms Audet told coroner Simon Cooper of the heartache her family had endured in the wake of Mrs Nettlefold’s death.

“More than a year has passed since my mother-in-law, and my children’s grandmother, Carmel, was killed,” Ms Audet said.

“For us, life has had to go on, but very few days pass by without Carmel’s name being spoken in our home.

“I first met Carmel in Queensland more than 23 years ago, shortly after meeting her son and only child, Lenny. Just over five years ago, Lenny and I decided to move our family from Queensland to Tasmania.

“Within days of the move, I discovered I was pregnant with our fourth child. Two days later, Lenny died suddenly after a massive heart attack.

“Lenny’s death was an overwhelming, huge and shocking blow for me, for our children, and for Carmel.

“Despite her own grief, Carmel travelled immediately to Tasmania to help me, to support us and to spend time with her grandchildren.

“I can’t imagine how much harder life would have been at that time without her.”

Addressing Bowden’s actions, Ms Audet said her four children had not only been robbed of a grandmother who used to cook, dance and read with them, but had also lost their last remaining connection to their father.

Ms Audet described her family as fortunate for having a supportive network of friends and expressed hope her children would develop positive strategies to deal with their ongoing grief.

“All four of my children — Bella, Nate, Memphis and Phoenix — had an incredibly strong bond with their grandmother,” Ms Audet said. “Carmel was a much-loved and trusted adult who they could talk to, particularly about their dad.

“They miss her terribly.”

Bowden will be eligible for parole in October, 2019.

Coroner Cooper adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.