Inquest hears of how toddlers were failed in their final moments

Darcey-Helen Conley was a blessed girl, and erstwhile her small sister Chloe-Ann came along, household members recalled however the girls would play together.

But determination were besides informing signs the girls were successful danger.

And connected November 22, 2019, the two-year-old and 18-month-old died aft they were near successful a car by their parent successful nonstop sunlight successful the driveway of their Logan home, southbound of Brisbane.

Chloe-Ann and Darcey-Helen were not capable to beryllium revived aft they were recovered successful a car parked astatine the Logan home.

The car reached 61.5 degrees by 10.30am.

Yet, it wasn’t the archetypal clip 1 of the girls had been near successful a car by their mother, Kerri-Ann Conley.

On 1 juncture successful the months earlier their deaths, Conley, a methylamphetamine user, texted her partner, and begetter of the children, Peter Jackson.

“I fell dormant connected the lounge. Oops. I near Chloe successful the car each night.”

This was the grounds heard connected the archetypal time of an inquest into the girls’ deaths.

The inquest, opening successful the Coroners Court successful Brisbane connected Monday, is acceptable to analyse the circumstances of the girls’ deaths, including however a study was made to Child Safety astir their information 11 days earlier they died.

Witnesses told the inquest of instances wherever they were acrophobic astir the girls’ information with Conley utilizing drugs, and however the girls were near successful the car respective times, and had been driven astir by Conley successful the aboriginal hours of the morning.

Mr Jackson’s aunt, Deborah Jackson, told the tribunal connected 1 juncture she had arrived astatine Conley’s location and saw Darcey-Helen inactive successful the car.

Some members of the Jackson family, leaving the inquest into the deaths of Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann Conley.Credit: Cloe Read

Ms Jackson told the inquest she asked Conley if she wanted her to get Darcey-Helen retired of the car.

“She said, ‘no, she’ll beryllium good there.’

Ms Jackson recalled a speech during Conley’s gestation with Darcey-Helen, successful which she was upset, and told her she did not privation to support the babe due to the fact that she was a girl.

Conley said she wanted a boy, Ms Jackson told the court, and Conley said erstwhile the babe was born, she would dump the miss connected her father’s doorstep.

When Darcey-Helen was born, nurses reported to household that Conley disappeared for hours astatine night, leaving the babe miss with infirmary staff, earlier returning to the ward successful the aboriginal hours of the morning, the tribunal heard.

Witnesses told the inquest that Conley was quiescent erstwhile they archetypal met her. But determination were signs Conley had been utilizing drugs. Another household member, Tamra Jackson, Mr Jackson’s cousin, told the tribunal she had discussions with him astir him discovering drugs successful Conley’s possession.

Mr Jackson began raising concerns astir the information of the children with Conley utilizing drugs, the tribunal heard, earlier Child Safety yet became involved.

The girls’ grandma and Mr Jackson’s mother, Deanne Power, told the tribunal astatine 1 signifier erstwhile she cared for Darcey-Helen, the toddler had been “banging her head” connected the wall.

Power told the tribunal she said to her lad that Darcey-Helen indispensable person had drugs successful her strategy for her to respond similar that.

Power said she had warned Child Safety astir Conley’s cause use, saying astatine the clip that Darcey-Helen was successful danger.

Mr Jackson’s relative besides said Conley had admitted successful beforehand of a Child Safety idiosyncratic that she had been buying urine to walk cause tests. She told the tribunal she was alert of a substance connection from that idiosyncratic astir Conley’s cause use, and telling Conley to “stay disconnected that crap if you can”.

“They intelligibly knew she was using,” Tamra Jackson said. She said determination should person been a afloat investigation, but “nothing” was done.

Kerri-Ann Conley pleaded blameworthy to the manslaughter of her 2 small girls past year.

The tribunal heard Mr Jackson was not listed connected Chloe-Ann’s commencement certificate, but Child Safety had considered him to beryllium the father.

Darcey-Helen besides went to daycare without lunches, the tribunal heard, and had important nappy rash. Conley had struggled astatine times to wage fees, and unit felt the request to bathe Darcey-Helen to “make her consciousness loved”, and would often provender her erstwhile she had nary food.

Conley past twelvemonth pleaded blameworthy to 2 counts of manslaughter, and was jailed for 9 years.

The inquest is scheduled for 5 days, with Ryan expected to perceive grounds from unit from Child Safety, Metro South Health, and police.

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