A man has been charged with murder after allegedly failing to call emergency services following the deaths of two people who had “adverse reactions” to medication they had taken at a suburban home.
Emergency services were called to the Kentville St property in Mitchelton in Brisbane’s north at 8.50am on Thursday and found the two people inside unconscious.
A 61-year-old Keperra man and a 35-year-old Mitchelton woman were later pronounced dead at the scene.
A 41-year-old Greenslopes man has since been charged with two counts of murder aggravated by reckless indifference and two counts of supplying dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drugs.
Senior Sergeant Mick Jones of Ferny Grove CID said police would allege the man had supplied drugs to the couple hours before their deaths.
“He also allegedly failed to contact emergency services when the man and woman had an adverse reaction to the substances,” Sgt Jones said.
‘The investigation we have carried out indicates that he brought the drugs to the premises and supplied them to those who were there.
“It was there for the entire duration of the drug use.”
Queensland police found two bodies at a home in Mitchelton, Brisbane, on Thursday
Police have charged a man with two counts of murder by reckless indifference and drug offences.
The couple was presumed unconscious when police arrived, but later died. One of the woman’s four children called emergency services Thursday morning.
Sgt Jones said the 41-year-old man was at the property when police arrived and assisted them with their enquiries.
He then “voluntarily accompanied” police to the station for further questioning before being charged.
“When he was assigned to work and the police and QAS arrived on scene very quickly, he was in front of the residence,” Sergeant Jones said.
“He is cooperating with the police and willingly wishes to help us move forward with the investigation.”
Neighbours told the Daily Mail Australia that a single mother and two primary school-aged children were living inside the home, which is owned by the Queensland government.
Asked if circumstances would have been different if the man had called triple-0, Sgt Jones replied: “It certainly would have helped.”
‘When triple zero was announced, that point had already passed.’
Police will further allege the man had moved a car belonging to one of his “friends” before returning to the property. That car was also being treated as a crime scene, Sgt Jones said.
Although police are still waiting to receive toxicology and autopsy reports, Sgt Jones said they were “pretty confident” that some of the drugs taken by the couple included cocaine and amphetamines.
However, Sgt Jones said he did not believe there was any further risk to the community and it was unlikely the drugs were from a faulty batch.
Police will allege the 41-year-old had also taken drugs with the couple, but may not have used the same drugs as the other two because he did not have an “adverse reaction”.
“I don’t know exactly how the whole situation occurred,” Sergeant Jones said.
‘He certainly indicated that they used drugs that night… whether they all used the same drugs (is unclear).’
Sgt Jones said he could not comment on the quantity or quality of the drugs that caused the deaths until police received the toxicology reports.
He said the couple allegedly had an adverse reaction to the drugs “reasonably quickly” after taking them.
He confirmed that none of the three had an intimate relationship with each other, but were instead “loose partners” or “friends.”
Sgt Jones said the four children were now in the care of their father, who does not live at the property, and their grandmother following the “traumatic situation”.
The man was due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.
