Disturbing details emerge after meth-addict mum Kerri-Ann Conley left her two daughters to die in a hot car outside her home
A mother who was jailed for leaving her infant daughter to die in a hot car left one of the children alone with a minor after she was born and told a nurse after being confronted about the act.
Details of Kerri-Ann Conley’s disturbing drug use and comments were revealed by witnesses on the first day of an inquest into the 2019 deaths of her daughters Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann.
Both girls died after being left by their mother in a hot car outside her home in Waterford West, south of Brisbane, on November 23 that year.
Conley is serving a nine-year prison sentence for their manslaughter, but will be eligible for parole later this year.
The inquest is examining the events leading to the girls’ deaths, as well as the responses of Child Safety, Metro South Health and the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
Kerri-Ann Conley (pictured) is serving a nine-year prison sentence for the manslaughter of her daughters, who were both under three years old when they were left to die in a hot car
Two-year-old Darcey-Helen Conley (left) and 18-month-old Chloe-Ann died after being left in the car for more than nine hours by their mother, Kerri-Ann Conley
Conley’s drug use, including her heavy use of methylamphetamine and whether it endangered the girls, will come under scrutiny.
On Monday, Darcey-Helen’s great-aunt Deborah Jackson detailed her interactions with Conley. She initially described her as a “very quiet girl” when she was first introduced.
The Brisbane Coroner’s Court was told Conley was “horrified” when she learned she was pregnant with Darcey-Helen, and even threatened to “dump” the baby on her father Peter Jackson’s doorstep.
Despite this, Mrs. Jackson said Conley loved her daughter.
Ms. Jackson said Darcey-Helen was left alone with Mr. Jackson’s 13-year-old daughter several times, including after her birth while Conley went outside the hospital for a cigarette.
When Ms. Jackson was confronted by a nurse about leaving the baby with a minor, she said Conley responded, “It’s my baby, I’ll do what I want.”
She indicated that Mr. Jackson did not approve of Conley’s drug use and at one point discovered a glass pipe and marijuana under her car seat.
On other occasions, she revealed that Conley had been involved in car accidents while Darcey-Helen was in the car – one in which Conley climbed a traffic island after leaving the parking lot of a Hungry Jack.
The court was told that Child Safety had intervened after Mr Jackson raised concerns, something Mrs Jackson said infuriated Conley.
The court was told Child Safety had intervened after Mr Jackson (pictured) raised concerns, something Ms Jackson said infuriated Conley
“Kerri wanted to know who got her involved with Child Safety,” Ms. Jackson said.
She said Conley then “hurled” the young girl at Mr. Jackson and stormed away.
Ms. Jackson testified that Conley was eventually moved to her own unit in Kingston while she shared custody of the child.
“It was like a bomb had been blown off inside,” Ms Jackson told the court.
‘It was dirty, never clean, there were dishes everywhere and she had way too much furniture.’
Other witnesses, including Mr Jackson, will give evidence during the five-day inquest.
During Conley’s sentencing last year, the Brisbane Supreme Court was told both children died of hyperthermia as a result of being left in the hot car.
The court was told Kerri-Ann Conley (pictured with Darcey-Helen) angrily talked about a nurse who confronted Conley about leaving her daughter in the company of a minor shortly after her birth
Details of Kerri-Ann Conley’s disturbing drug use revealed by witnesses on the first day of an inquest into the 2019 deaths of her daughters Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann (pictured)
Conley had returned from a friend’s house with the girls around 4 a.m. that morning and parked the car in front of her home in Waterford West.
She didn’t get her kids out of their car seats and went inside, dawdled on her phone and fell asleep.
Temperatures rose as high as 61.5 degrees Celsius that day until Conley removed them about nine hours later.
Conley threw a small plastic bag containing medication residue into the trash before calling Mr. Jackson and calling triple-0.
The inquest, before State Coroner Terry Ryan, continues.