A mother jailed for letting her daughters die in a hot car left one of the girls alone with a minor after her birth, berating a nurse after she was confronted about the act.
Witnesses revealed details of Kerri-Ann Conley’s disturbing drug use and comments on the first day of an inquest into the 2019 deaths of her daughters Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann.
Both girls died after their mother left them in a hot car outside their home in Waterford West, south of Brisbane, on November 23 that year.
Conley is serving a nine-year prison sentence for his killings, but will be eligible for parole later this year.
The investigation is examining the events leading up to the girls’ deaths, as well as the responses of Child Safety, Metro South Health and the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
Kerri-Ann Conley (pictured) is serving a nine-year prison sentence for the manslaughter of her daughters, who were less than three years old when they were left to die in a hot car.
Two-year-old Darcey-Helen Conley (left) and 18-month-old Chloe-Ann died after their mother, Kerri-Ann Conley, left them in the car for more than nine hours.
Conley’s drug use, including his heavy use of methylamphetamine and whether this put the girls at risk, will be placed under the microscope.
On Monday, Darcey-Helen’s great-aunt Deborah Jackson gave evidence of her interactions with Conley, initially describing her as a “very quiet girl” when she was first introduced.
The Brisbane Coroner’s Court was told Conley was “upset” to learn she was pregnant with Darcey-Helen, and even threatened to “leave” the baby on the doorstep of her father Peter Jackson’s home.
Despite this, Jackson said Conley loved his daughter.
Jackson said Darcey-Helen was left alone with Jackson’s 13-year-old daughter several times, including after her birth, while Conley left the hospital to smoke a cigarette.
When a nurse confronted her about leaving the baby with a minor, Jackson said Conley responded, “It’s my baby, I’ll do whatever I want.”
She gave evidence that Mr. Jackson did not approve of Conley’s drug use, and at one point discovered a glass pipe and marijuana under the seat of his car.
On other occasions, he revealed that Conley had been involved in car accidents while Darcey-Helen was in the car, one in which Conley drove onto a traffic island after leaving the Hungry Jack’s parking lot.
The court was told Child Safety had intervened after Jackson raised concerns, something Jackson said infuriated Conley.
The court was told Child Safety had intervened after Jackson (pictured) raised concerns, something Jackson said infuriated Conley.
“Kerri wanted to know who brought her into Child Safety,” Mrs. Jackson said.
She said Conley then “threw” the young woman toward Mr. Jackson and stormed off.
Ms Jackson gave evidence that Conley eventually moved into his own unit in Kingston while she shared custody of the child.
“It was like a bomb had been dropped inside,” Mrs Jackson told the court.
“She was dirty, never cleaned, there were dishes everywhere and she had too much furniture.”
Other witnesses, including Mr. Jackson, must testify during the five-day investigation.
During Conley’s sentencing last year, the Brisbane Supreme Court was told both children died of hyperthermia as a result of being left in the hot car.
The court was told Kerri-Ann Conley (pictured with Darcey-Helen) angrily scolded a nurse who confronted Conley about leaving her daughter in the company of a minor shortly after her birth.
Details of Kerri-Ann Conley’s disturbing drug use revealed by witnesses on the first day of an inquest into the 2019 deaths of her daughters Darcey-Helen and Chloe-Ann (pictured)
Conley had returned from a friend’s house with the girls around 4 a.m. that morning and parked the car outside her home in Waterford West.
She didn’t get her kids out of their car seats and go inside, fussing with her phone and falling asleep.
Temperatures rose as high as 61.5C that day until Conley removed them about nine hours later.
Conley threw a small plastic bag containing drug residue into the trash before calling Mr. Jackson and triple-0.
The inquest, before state coroner Terry Ryan, continues.