Brisbane social media influencer drugged own child, which 'led to brain surgery', court told
A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the child to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard.
The 34-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, applied for bail in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
She appeared in person wearing a light blue dress and leather-strap sandals while being supervised by two corrective services guards.
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Queensland Police accuse the woman of giving her one-year-old child unauthorised prescription and pharmacy medications between August and October 2024 to grow her social media profile and gain $60,000 in donations.
Crown prosecutor Jack Scott opposed bail and told Magistrate Stephen Courtney the woman had moved a video camera that was monitoring the child during a brain activity test “to avoid detection”.
“The prosecution case is in essence that she was torturing her own child with the administering of non-prescribed medicines,” Mr Scott said.
Mr Scott said the woman was seen on video on October 3, 2024 “fiddling with the nasogastric tube” attached to the child.
“She was captured on footage with a syringe. She administered via the nasogastric tube. She used the opportunity while hidden by a blanket,” Mr Scott said.
“About 30 to 40 minutes after this incident (the child) was rendered completely unconscious.”
The woman was remanded in custody at her first court appearance on January 17 following her arrest in a suburb south of Brisbane.
The woman was charged with administering poison with intent to harm, four counts of administering poison with intent to harm and endangering life, making child exploitation material, three counts of preparation to commit crimes, and torture.
Mr Scott said the child exploitation material charge was related to videos allegedly found on the woman’s phone and she had caused life-threatening complications.
“This child would not have faced (two rounds of brain) surgeries at this point in time but for this manufacturing of symptoms,” the prosecutor said.
Defence solicitor Mathew Cuskelly submitted that his client had never been found guilty of any crime and was facing a court case that might last two or three years.
Mr Cuskelly said the prosecution case might appear strong but further investigation might show otherwise.
“The risks can be sufficiently ameliorated,” he said about bail conditions.
The magistrate said the child had been diagnosed with benign tumours in multiple organs and had begun to suffer seizures.
“The medical view suspected the medication prescribed was triggering seizures. The medication was stopped,” Mr Courtney said.
“The (woman) still had a prescription ... the medication was still found in her system along with other drugs.”
Mr Cuskelly said an email from health authorities stated the child “continues to present symptoms” of seizures.
Mr Courtney said he would not be able to come to a decision on Tuesday due to the complexity of the allegations.
“Bail is normally a straightforward matter. This isn’t,” he said.
The bail application was adjourned to Wednesday.
