Willow Dunn death: Shannon Leigh White to face sentencing as her shocking role in stepdaughter’s death is revealed

A severely malnourished four-year-old girl with Down syndrome was likely dead in her bedroom for two days before authorities were alerted, a court has been told.

Willow Dunn’s body was found at her Cannon Hill home in Brisbane on May 25, 2020.

More than four years later, her stepmother Shannon Leigh White appeared in court in connection with the girl’s death and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

She also pleaded guilty to possession of a dangerous drug, namely cannabis, and to another charge of cruelty to a child under 16 – in relation to a different child than Willow.

Willow’s father, Mark Dunn, was charged with Willow’s alleged murder.

Prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court that White had failed in her duty of care and failed to provide her stepdaughter with basic necessities of life and other medical care.

According to Mr Crane, White “did not pay attention to or care for Willow” in the days leading up to her death and only discovered her stepdaughter had died after Mr Dunn allegedly told her.

The court was told that Willow died of severe malnutrition and probably also acute pancreatitis.

“She weighed 14 pounds, which was 45 percent less than an acceptable weight on a specific scale for people with Down syndrome,” Crane said.

The court ruled that she should have weighed between 13.6 and 15 kilos.

According to Mr Crane, it is estimated that the child had been malnourished for months, rather than weeks.

“If Willow was conscious at the time, the likely symptoms would have been nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, inability to eat and pain,” he said.

The court was told that Willow also had several pressure sores on her back and hips, which were likely caused by nappies, clothing or bedding as a result of malnutrition.

Mr Crane said Willow had also likely been experiencing ‘reduced mobility’ for weeks before her death due to malnutrition and had also been experiencing ‘severe immobility’ in the days leading up to her death.

According to Mr. Crane, she was dirty and covered in lice when authorities found her body, indicating that she had not been washed regularly.

The court was told that Willow had been isolated from social gatherings, including nursery school and family parties, for months in the run-up to her death.

Mr Crane said that “no one had seen Willow” because, as the prosecution alleged, White and Mr Dunn “prevented others from seeing her” because she had started losing weight.

The court was told that Willow would be left at the house.

According to Crane, White even began telling a “lie and deception” when others asked her where her stepdaughter was.

“It cannot be ruled out that Ms. White did not see Willow at all,” he said.

‘She should have taken care of Willow…or intervened.

“She was a stepmother, someone who played the role of Willow’s mother.”

Paula Morreau, an attorney for White, said her client had expressed remorse for Willow’s death.

“Ms. White would like to apologize to the Dunn family for the harm and distress she has caused them,” Ms. Moreau said on behalf of her client.

“She acknowledges that she failed in her duty to care for (Willow) … and she is so sorry for it and … she is so sorry that she caused that harm.”

Ms Morreau said her client was not Willow’s legal guardian, but that she began noticing decreased mobility in her stepdaughter “around 2020”.

“About two months before (Willow’s death), she told (Mr. Dunn) several times to take her to a doctor,” Ms. Morreau said.

‘Of course she could have called the emergency services at any time, but she hadn’t thought of that.

‘There were a number of factors that were affecting her mental health at the time.

‘TShe probably wouldn’t consider the possibility of death.’

Ms Morreau said White and Mr Dunn were living in separate parts of the family home when Willow died, leaving her feeling isolated. However, she admitted she had not entered the child’s bedroom for days before she died.

In a victim impact statement read aloud to the court, a young relative of Willow said the four-year-old was a “playful and cheeky” girl.

The relative said they have been suffering from nightmares since ‘losing Willow’.

“I am very sad that Willow has passed away, she is always in my heart, but she is safe now with her mother and her,” he said.

Judge Peter Davis deferred his sentencing decision until later week.

“It is a difficult case that raises all kinds of questions and I need time to think about it,” he said.

This comes as White was due to stand trial in the Supreme Court, but during her arraignment in August she pleaded guilty to one charge: manslaughter.

Willow’s father, Mark Dunn, is expected to stand trial in 2025 for Willow’s alleged murder.