A woman who left her elderly mother to die covered in faeces in her ‘rotten’ and filthy home sent chilling text messages to her son just hours before the sick woman was found unconscious.
Julie Lynette Delaney was given a main sentence of five years in prison after learning her fate for the manslaughter of her mother Noelene in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday.
In lieu of actual time in prison, Delaney’s sentence was suspended after a judge ruled that further prison time would only undo her ongoing rehabilitation.
The 61-year-old was released on an order not to commit any further offense within that period.
Details of Noelene’s horrific death were revealed following Delaney’s guilty plea – including how she left her own mother covered in faeces and sometimes sat for hours on a bench that had been converted into a makeshift toilet.
Julie Lynette Delaney was given a main sentence of five years in prison after learning her fate for the manslaughter of her mother Noelene in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday
Delaney exchanged chilling text messages with her son about the condition of her mother, Noelene
During the conversation, Mr Delaney said her mother “mumbled” when Mr Delaney clarified whether the woman was breathing or talking.
Delaney’s son Scott is not accused of any wrongdoing and is not facing any charges in connection with Noelene’s death.
The court was told he helped care for Noelene by paying bills, driving her and Delaney to and from appointments and delivering groceries when requested.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco revealed that Delaney texted her son just after 10am on the day of Noelene’s death on September 18, 2020, saying: ‘I can’t get her (Noelene) up, she’s dead weight.’
Mr. Delaney responds, “Is she dead?”
In the conversation, Delaney denies this, saying her mother “mumbled” when Mr. Delaney clarified whether the woman was breathing or talking.
It ends with Mr. Delaney telling her, “Hand wash her, I’ll be there this afternoon.”
Ms Marco said five hours later – around 3.30pm – Delaney texted her son saying: ‘Can you please help me?’
After a brief conversation – during which Delaney indicated something was wrong with her mother – Mr Delaney arrived at the Pimpama property on the Gold Coast after 5pm, the court was told.
There he was confronted with the scene in which Noelene had difficulty breathing, was covered in feces on the couch and made ‘moaning noises’.
‘Mr Delaney shouted at the defendant: ‘What have you done?’ and told her to clean up after the deceased,” Ms Marco told the court.
Emergency services later arrived on the scene after Mr Delaney called triple-0 and found Noelene unresponsive in the house.
Judge Hindman noted there was a “terrible” failure of the system, which went unrecognized at the time, which led to Delaney becoming her mother’s primary caregiver.
The court was told Delaney said she never abused her mother when questioned by police
She went into cardiac arrest when paramedics tried to treat her but could not be resuscitated.
The court was told Pimpama’s home was littered with faeces and dirty towels, clothes and bedding.
There was no fresh food, vegetables or fruit in the house, Mrs. Marco noted.
Nolene’s bedroom consisted of two single beds pushed together, with no sheets and only dirty blankets.
“While the police were on the scene, the suspect removed a dirty blanket from the deceased’s bed and hid it in the cupboard under the stairs, which the police found,” Marco said.
“The house had a strong, putrid odor.”
Noelene’s cause of death was sepsis due to or as a result of malnutrition.
Doctors also noted important features such as ulcers, Alzheimer’s disease, hypotension, lung diseases and drug toxicity.
Fluid and protein loss from the ulcers – which showed no signs of treatment – also contributed to the malnutrition.
Noelene weighed just over 100 pounds (49 kg) at the time of death.
“A pattern of the tissue was printed in parts of the ulcer,” Ms. Marco said.
In lieu of actual time in prison, Delaney’s sentence was suspended after a judge ruled that further prison time would only undo her ongoing rehabilitation.
She also had bacterial infections in her gallbladder and urinary tract and lesions and ulcers along her lower back, buttocks, anus and external genitalia and upper thighs.
The court was told Delaney said she never abused her mother when questioned by police.
She claimed that on the day of her mother’s death, she went to a doctor’s appointment and returned home to find her unconscious.
Delaney claimed not to have received any help from support services such as Blue Care, despite Ms Marco revealing Delaney had missed calls regarding her mother’s treatment and physiotherapy at Gold Coast University Hospital.
When asked about her overall feelings about caring for her mother, Delaney responded, “I know I did a bad job, I know it’s wrong, but there’s no way I can ever hurt her.” I’m not 100 percent sure, but I did a good job, I think, but I’m not happy with it.”
Doctors believed that Delaney suffered from schizophrenia and exhibited “borderline cognitive function with across-the-board deficits.”
Her legal aid lawyer said the 61-year-old seemed unaware of her limitations and this affected her reasoning and ability to know her care for Noelene was inadequate.
The court was told Delaney was now receiving care through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
High Court Judge Melanie Hindman decided not to send Delaney back to prison as it would impact her rehabilitation.
Delaney’s five-year prison sentence was completely suspended.
“(Noelene) took her own life in a way that no one would want,” Judge Hindman said.
“No one would want anyone in their family to end up the way they did.
‘You have to take your limitations into account. They do affect—not entirely, but in a substantial way—your moral culpability for the offense.”
Judge Hindman noted there was an “appalling” failure of the system, which went unrecognized at the time, which led to Delaney becoming her mother’s primary caregiver.
“It is impossible for me not to have a very strong understanding of the misery your mother must have suffered in the last days of her life,” she said.