January 19, 2016
A 41-year-old mother who pleaded guilty to eight charges – including failing to send her 14-year-old daughter to school – was fined $750 and placed on nine months probation in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Monday.
The former barmaid pleaded guilty to possessing amphetamines and cannabis, possessing drug utensils, failing to dispose of a needle, possessing a drug pipe, two counts of failing to provide particulars to police, failing to appear in court, and failing to ensure the attendance of a child at school.
The court was told despite being contacted repeatedly by the school and police, she failed to send her daughter to high school between September 14, 2014 and May 22, 2015, claiming she had been bullied.
The girl turned 14 during this time.
Defence solicitor Chris Campbell said his client had been raised in an abusive home and did not cope well with conflict or aggressive behaviour.
She did not drink alcohol at all but had been using cannabis since she was a young teenager.
She has three children, including the 14-year-old who is pregnant to “a lad well-known to police”.
Magistrate Barry Barrett told the woman he had taken into consideration what her solicitor had said but this was her last chance.
“Make the most of it now,” he said.
No convictions were recorded.
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A 36-year-old mother who pleaded guilty to striking her 11-year-old daughter with a horse lead causing bruising on her leg was placed on 18 months probation in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell tendered photographs of the girl’s injuries to the court.
The incident occurred in November when the girl and her mother were at a property where horses had been agisted.
The girl was riding the horse but the mother yelled at her to work the animal harder.
When the girl refused and said she wanted to get off, the mother grabbed the lead and struck the child on the upper right leg.
The court was told the daughter told her mother her leg hurt, but the woman told her “to get over it”.
Later, when the girl located her mobile phone – which had been confiscated – she rang 000.
Sgt Bushell said the mother told police she had swung the rope around to lead the horse, and had used a crop on the horse, but denied striking her daughter.
The mother’s solicitor told the court his 36-year-old client was currently not working but until the incident had been working in the health industry.
He said until September last year, the mother and daughter had enjoyed a very close relationship but late last year girl had started to withdraw and become “quite aggressive”, pushing and hurting the other two children in the family. She had then disclosed that she had been molested by her father.
The assault had occurred out of “frustration”.
Magistrate Barrett said the assault had occurred with a background of angry exchanges between the mother and daughter, but no blame could be placed on the child.
“The blame lies with you. You can’t vent your frustration on a child in this manner,” he said.
He noted that the mother was now getting help from a psychiatrist, her GP and Centacare to cope with her problems.
No conviction was recorded.
