On the Internet she was a perfect mother, the kind of mother that other women looked at and probably felt guilty about.
On Saturday, Cheryl Lucas’s facade came down the hard way when she was charged with murder.
The boy she talked about on social media now faces what remains of her childhood as an orphan, if she is found guilty.
Lucas is accused of stabbing her long-time partner, Heath Speedie, to death in what police alleged was a “family violence” homicide.
A small child was reportedly home when Lucas allegedly attacked Mr. Speedie with the knife.
For years, Lucas had used his son to bask in the online glory associated with his existence.
“He melts my heart, so much love for my (son),” she gushed to a friend.
Time and time again, Lucas would post photos of the boy and sit back and watch the likes roll in.
Cheryl Lucas preached online how much she loved her son. She is accused of killing the father of her child.
The reason why the police allege that Lucas decided to murder his partner a few days after celebrating Christmas is unknown.
The 38-year-old allegedly stabbed Speedie, 47, in the chest as he sat on the sofa at his home in Park Lane, in the Ballarat suburb of Mount Helen, on Saturday.
It is alleged that Speedie, who suffered critical injuries, managed to stagger away before collapsing in the front garden of the property.
Paramedics performed CPR, but were unable to revive him. Police arrested Lucas at the home shortly before 8 a.m.
Photos posted on social media show Mr. Speedie with his arms around Lucas as early as 2012.
Interestingly, he posted a photo on his own social media account with a link to a song titled: “I’m Not Dead Yet.”
Includes the lyrics: ‘And this is how a broken heart beats.’ It’s tearing my chest like a razor. It helps me get through the good and bad times. This is what a sad song sounds like.’
Cheryl Lucas and Heath Speedie return to happier times. They accuse her of stabbing him to death
Cheryl Lucas appeared to seek praise online, sharing image after image of her little son growing up.
Heath Speedie loved nothing more than fishing in the open sea.
Lucas appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday for a brief presentation hearing.
Caged in the dock, she said nothing and gave no indication that she would make a bid for bail.
The court heard it was her first time in custody and arrangements would be made for her to see a medical professional in prison for an assessment for “health concerns”.
Mr. Speedie’s relatives, who attended the hearing in person, declined to speak to the media waiting outside the court.
Neighbor Doug Mills told The Age that Speedie had gone out of his way to introduce himself upon moving into the neighbourhood.
A young child was reportedly in the home when Cheryl Lucas allegedly murdered her partner.
“We’d see each other, say hello or say hello, and that was it,” Mills told the publication.
‘His house, diagonally, is about 40 meters or so from our house. And from what I could determine, they kept quite to themselves, like most of us on this particular street.
Mills said Speedie was an avid fisherman and often drove to Portland to fish.
His social media account showed that he had owned boats over the years.
He also suggested that he had a good heart too, breaking 250 boards at a charity karate event in 2013.
Lucas will return to the court on April 15.