JMO – The following demonstrates where the FM appears to be showing avoidance in a bid to avoid the consequences of conviction.
Working backwards from the most recent:-
- Alleged Assault and Intimidation:
…. First she tries on the Mental Health excuse (That failed);
…. Then she pleads Not Guilty;
…. On 4/9/2023, she pleads Guilty to the Assault Charges (Surveillance tapes evidence);
…. She pleads Not Guilty to Intimidation Charges (Now to be heard as a Prima Facie).
- Alleged Lying Charge:
…. Result of Not Guilty because she did not intentionally lie.
JMO - Right from the get-go, the FM has been ‘loose’ with the details that she gave regarding that fateful morning:
E.g.: In the 000 Call:
- Operator: How long has he been missing?
- Foster Mother: I think... well, I think, well, we've been looking for him now for about fifteen or twenty minutes but...
- Operator: OK.
- Foster Mother: Ah, I thought it could be five, it could be longer 'cause he was just playing around here we heard him and then we heard nothing.
…. She modifies the amount of time to suit herself!
- Operator: OK. Would he have had any shoes on do you know? Any other distinguishing features?
- Foster Mother: Um, um, um he has oh he's got a freckle on the top of his head when you part the hair on the left hand side (Operator: yep) you'll see a freckle on the top of his head.
…. She doesn’t seem to want to answer about wearing shoes!
- Operator: OK, alright. Do you know where he might have gone?
- Foster Mother: Um, we're a li-, we actually live, well mother's property's near a State forest
- Operator: OK and they're on huge blocks.
- We've walked up and down Benaroon Drive and we can't find him.
…. No mention of FM driving Mazda as far as Riding School.
- Operator: OK has he been known to sort of go anywhere before...
- Foster Mother: No, this is the first time; completely out of character.
- Operator: There wasn't anyone um suspicious in the area? Any vehicles?
- Foster Mother: No, no, no, no well not that I no not that I'm aware of. We were just, I was out there talking with my mum and my other daughter so...
…. Answers with lots of no that there was anyone suspicious in the area.
NB: For whatever reasons, it seems that FM has seen fit, a couple of days later, (Maybe because she learned that she had been seen by someone) to declare that she had driven to the Riding School.
NB: The female foster carer gave a statement to police on September 14, 2014 that "does not make any reference to sighting vehicles", the inquest heard. But on a filmed "walk-through" four days later, she recalled seeing two cars, one grey and one white with "dark tinted windows".
NB: There was also a green or teal-looking car which reversed in a neighbouring driveway and drove off. She said the driver was “a big man” in his late 50s who was Caucasian, had “sandy, reddy-coloured hair”, a “thick neck” and looked “weathered”.
NB: Then later at the Inquest:
She said that the man was 'not overly tanned', had no facial hair or glasses.
The foster mother was questioned at the inquest over a previous 2015 statement where she told police a different account of seeing the car driving down the street.
Then, she said: 'I cannot remember whether the windows were down. I could not see any of the occupants'.
Asked to explain the difference in the statements, the foster mum said she had just read the police statement, 'and I just thought, I don't know why I said that.'
