Gympie baby death: Jaye Walton charged with boy Reef’s manslaughter

The identity of a seven-month-old boy, pulled from a lake at a Qld park, can be revealed as more details about the dad charged with manslaughter emerge. LATEST.

The identity of a baby boy, allegedly killed by his dad at a Gympie park, can been revealed as Reef Hunter Walton.

His name appears in documents before the Ipswich Magistrates Court which on Thursday heard a witness claimed to have seen the baby’s father Jaye Walton allegedly “throw” him into the Chatsworth Park pond.

The documents also reveal Mr Walton, 42, works as a fisherman.

He was arrested on Tuesday and charged with manslaughter.

The charge was mentioned in court, but no evidence was heard.

Instead, the case was adjourned for legal argument on whether Mr Walton was in a show cause position for bail.

It returned to court on Thursday where Mr Walton’s lawyer dismissed the claim as “hearsay”.

Mr Walton was refused bail and will return to Gympie Magistrates Court on August 4.

Following his first court appearance on Wednesday, police released footage of his arrest at a property Bundamba on Tuesday, days after Reef was pulled unresponsive from the waters of the pond at Chatsworth Park, Gympie by his mother.

The video, released by the Queensland Police Service, shows the 42-year-old, wearing dark blue trousers, a long sleeve white shirt and thongs, being led out of a home in handcuffs by officers.

A mystery tribute has been left overnight at Chatsworth Park, near Gympie, where a seven-month-old baby was pulled from the water. The baby's 42-year-old father has been charged with manslaughter – domestic violence offence.

After a brief wait outside the front door, he is then led down to and bundled inside a waiting police car.

The court appearance and footage release comes after an unknown visitor left a heartbreaking tribute to the seven-month-old baby boy who tragically died after being pulled from a pond at a travel stop near Gympie.

A hand painted cloth canvas bearing the words “RIP little one”, “Joey”, “(heart) you” and dotted with a child’s footprints was left tied to the railing of a footbridge at the lake at Chatsworth Park sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, near where the boy’s body was pulled unresponsive from the water by his distraught mother on Saturday.

Multiple bystanders tried to revive the boy, and he was rushed to hospital but tragically died.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed the baby’s father was arrested in Bundamba and charged with manslaughter (domestic violence).

Homicide detectives and members of the police Child Trauma Unit were brought in across the weekend to help investigate what was first reported as a drowning after the boy’s mother raised the alarm.

Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield revealed the baby and his family had driven into the picturesque park, a popular stopover spot for RV drivers, campers, and the homeless, on the Gympie-Curra Rd (the Old Bruce Highway) on Friday night.

They were headed back to their home in North Queensland, Inspector Mansfield said.

The boy was found in the waters of a nearby lake, only 40m from where the family was camped, about 10.40am Saturday.

The boy was found in the small pond only 40m from where the family was camped, about 10.40am Saturday.

Insp Mansfield said it was the boy’s mother who retrieved him from the water at the busy campground popular with travellers, grey nomads and the homeless.

“A number of people reported it to police,” he said.

Insp Mansfield said it would be alleged police knew what had happened and were now “trying to establish why”.

A post-mortem was carried out on Monday morning.

Emergency services were called to Chatsworth Park off Gympie-Curra Road about 10.40am Saturday following reports a seven-month-old baby boy was found unresponsive in a lake at the park.

Originally published as Gympie baby death: Jaye Walton charged with boy Reef’s manslaughter