A Brisbane court heard the offences were so serious that, if convicted, the mother could be jailed for several years.
A Brisbane court heard the offences were so serious that, if convicted, the mother could be jailed for several years.
- Updated
- National
- Queensland
- Crime
By Cloe Read
January 29, 2025 — 9.46am
A Queensland social media influencer has been granted bail after a court heard how she allegedly drugged her one-year-old daughter.
The 34-year-old Sunshine Coast mother allegedly hid the girl under a blanket before administering non-prescribed medicines, which included carbamazepine.
The girl was rendered unconscious about half an hour later, the prosecution alleged.
The crimes were allegedly committed to solicit donations and online followers.
The woman, who cannot be identified under Queensland law, was arrested this month and charged by child protection detectives with offences including administering poison with intent to harm, torture, making child exploitation material, and fraud.
She was alleged to have committed the offences between August 6 and October 15 in 2024.
During a bail application on Tuesday, the Brisbane Magistrates Court heard the girl suffered from a treatable condition, but the prosecution alleged the mother did not accept that, instead continuing to administer medication.
The girl subsequently underwent two brain surgeries that could have been done at a later stage in her life.
On Tuesday, the woman’s lawyer pushed for her to be released on bail, arguing she could comply with strict reporting conditions. They included reporting to police and only being able to contact her children through supervised video calls.
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The lawyer also nominated five addresses where the mother could reside, citing media attention as the reason and wanting to be able to move his client around if necessary.
On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Magistrate Stephen Courtney said he had wrestled with the decision, but was satisfied any risk could be appropriately mitigated by her bail conditions.
Courtney ordered various bail conditions, including that the woman not go within 100 metres of the child and not have contact with the child unless via calls supervised by the Department of Child Safety.
“The offending is serious and if convicted, the sentence, I think, would be several years with actual time served,” Courtney said.
Courtney said the case was complex, and further expert evidence would undoubtedly be obtained by both sides.
He said blood samples showed the unexplained presence of non-prescribed drugs in the child’s system that were “on occasions, at arguably dangerous levels”.
“I make this point though, it is not the law that just because there’s a strong Crown case, and just because I think imprisonment would flow if a person is convicted, that a person will, or should, remain in custody.”
He said if the case remained contested, the trial would be two or three years away.
Throughout the hearing, the mother appeared via video link wearing prison-issued clothing and sitting quietly with her arms crossed as decisions were explained to her.
Courtney also asked if she understood that the police had “robustly” opposed her bail, to which the woman said she understood.
The case was adjourned to February 19 for committal mention.
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