Larissa Rita Mae-Leigh Sant: Brisbane woman accused of hit-and-run murder of Kiesha Thompson granted bail

A mother accused of a “disturbing” hit-and-run murder of her partner’s ex-girlfriend has been granted bail.

Larissa Rita Mae-Leigh Sant, 24, allegedly drove a four wheel drive with false licence plates into Kiesha Thompson in Brisbane’s south in July.

Police allege Ms Thompson was deliberately struck by the Toyota Prado while walking home on a footpath after dropping her daughter at daycare in Daisy Hill.

The 23-year-old died in hospital later that night.

Sant and her partner Tyler Scott William James were later charged with murder.

Detective Inspector Chris Knight said in July that James and the victim were in an intimate relationship in the months before the alleged murder.

He said James was allegedly involved in the planning of the murder but Sant was the car’s sole driver.

At her Brisbane Supreme Court bail application on Wednesday, the prosecution said Sant changed the Toyota Prado’s licence plates before the alleged murder.

Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane said Sant found a similar model vehicle on Facebook Marketplace and used its plates, changing them back after the alleged murder.

Mr Crane said Sant had also swapped the plates a couple of days earlier at a Logan shopping centre.

“There is consistency in the way of the modus operandi,” he said.

Justice Peter Davis accepted the prosecution’s concession that it would have to prove Sant was the driver and had intent to kill the 23-year-old mother.

“The Crown have evidence which taken on its face may suggest that there was a good deal of planning by Ms Sant and the gentleman involved before the incident where Ms Thompson died,” Justice Davis said.

“There are some disturbing aspects of the case. It seems the Prado was wearing a false number plate and that after the running down the number plate was changed back to its legitimate one.

“There is evidence which certainly links the Prado to the accident.”

The defence solicitor said during the bail application that Sant was a mother of three children all under the age of six and was a low flight risk.

Sant had no criminal history or passport and had never left the country, the defence said.

“The submission is that it’s unrealistic to think she is going to pack up three children under six and escape the jurisdiction,” Justice Davis said.

Sant was supported by family at court, with the prosecution reading letters she had written to them while in custody.

“I can’t be away from them for that long ... I need to get home to them,” Sant wrote of her children.

“I don’t want to spend 15 years in here ... I can’t get over the fact that I could very well miss out on the kids’ lives.”

Sant was granted bail on strict conditions and must wear a GPS tracker device.