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Newly uncovered forensic evidence in the case of a woman accused of murdering her two grown children will come under intense scrutiny by her defense attorney.
Maree Mavis Crabtree pleaded not guilty in January to murdering her son Jonathan by giving him an overdose of prescription drugs in a fruit smoothie in July 2017.
Her trial related only to the death at the family’s Gold Coast home of the 26-year-old, who had brain damage from a car crash.
Jurors were dismissed after the trial was disrupted by the discovery of documents that could be admitted into evidence, and Crabtree was later released on bail.
Maree Mavis Crabtree pleaded not guilty in January to murdering her son Jonathan by giving him an overdose of prescription drugs in a fruit smoothie in July 2017
Crabtree was also committed in 2021 – but has yet to stand trial – for the alleged 2012 murder of her daughter Erin
Crabtree was also committed in 2021 — but has yet to stand trial — for the alleged 2012 murder of her daughter Erin, 18.
The murder charge involving Jonathan was the subject of a review in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday, with Crabtree attending in person.
Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy said police, after an extended period since Jonathan’s death, had analyzed the blender allegedly used by Crabtree to prepare a drug-laced smoothie.
McCarthy said the coroner found traces of the opioid pain reliever oxycodone, the anti-anxiety drug diazepam and the antipsychotic quetiapine.
“The presence of these items is relevant to whether or not there is any corroboration of (Tara’s) claim that her mother had put these medications in a blender,” he said.
A key witness for the prosecution has been Crabtree’s daughter Tara, who claims she looked on while Crabtree mixed more drugs into the smoothie.
Crabtree’s defense has previously questioned the reliability of Tara’s statement, arguing that it did not match other evidence.
The manslaughter charge involving Jonathan was the subject of a review in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday, with Crabtree attending in person
McCarthy said he would need detailed reports and forensic notes from police on how they handled the blender since it was seized and how they reached their findings about the drugs’ alleged presence.
Crabtree’s attorney said she would ask that all the police material cited by McCarthy be turned over to the defense.
“I expect we will seek our own expert report,” she said.
Judge Peter Davis adjourned the case until May 13 and extended Crabtree’s bail.