A woman who left her elderly mother to die covered in faeces in her “putrid” squalid home sent chilling text messages to her son just hours before the sick woman was found unconscious.
Julie Lynette Delaney was handed a five-year jail sentence after learning her fate in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday for the manslaughter of her mother Noelene.
Instead of spending time in prison, Delaney’s sentence was suspended after a judge determined that spending more time in custody would only undo his ongoing rehabilitation.
The 61-year-old was released with orders not to commit any further crimes within that period.
Details of Noelene’s horrific death were revealed after Delaney pleaded guilty, including how she left her own mother covered in feces and at times sitting for hours on a couch that had been converted into a makeshift bathroom.
Julie Lynette Delaney received a headline sentence of five years jail after hearing her fate in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday for the manslaughter of her mother Noelene.
Delaney exchanged chilling text messages with her son about the condition of his mother, Noelene.
In the exchange, Delaney said her mother “mumbled” when Delaney clarified whether the woman was breathing or talking.
Delaney’s son, Scott, is not accused of any crime and does not face any charges in connection with Noelene’s death.
The court was told he helped with Noelene’s care by paying bills, driving her and Delaney to and from appointments and delivering food on request.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco revealed that Delaney sent a text message to her son shortly after 10 a.m. on the day of Noelene’s death on September 18, 2020, saying: “I can’t get her (Noelene up) ), it’s dead weight.”
Mr. Delaney replies: “Is she dead?”
In the exchange, Delaney denies this and says her mother “mumbled” when Delaney clarified whether the woman was breathing or talking.
It ends with Mr Delaney telling him: “Wash it by hand, I’ll be there this afternoon.”
Marco said that five hours later, around 3:30 p.m., Delaney texted his son saying, “Can you please help me?”
After a brief conversation, in which Delaney indicated something was wrong with her mother, Delaney arrived at the Pimpama property on the Gold Coast after 5pm, the court was told.
There, he was faced with the scene of Noelene struggling to breathe, lying on the couch covered in feces and making “moans.”
‘Mr Delaney shouted at the defendant ‘what have you done?’ and I told him to clean the deceased,” Mrs. Marco told the court.
Emergency responders later responded after Delaney called triple-0 and found Noelene unresponsive in the home.
Judge Hindman noted there was a “terrible” system failure not recognized at the time that resulted in Delaney being her mother’s primary carer.
The court was told Delaney said she never abused her mother when questioned by police.
She went into cardiac arrest when paramedics tried to treat her and were unable to revive her.
The court was told Pimpama’s house was full of faeces and dirty towels, clothes and bedding.
There was no fresh food, vegetables or fruits in the house, Marco observed.
Nolene’s bedroom consisted of two single beds pushed together, with no sheets and only dirty blankets.
“While the police were at the address, the accused took a dirty blanket from the deceased’s bed and hid it in the closet, under the stairs, which the police located,” Ms. Marco said.
“The house gave off a strong, putrid smell.”
Noelene’s cause of death was sepsis as a result of or due to malnutrition.
Doctors also noted important features such as ulcers, Alzheimer’s disease, hypotension, lung diseases, and drug toxicity.
The loss of fluid and protein from the ulcers, which showed no signs of having been treated, also contributed to malnutrition.
Noelene weighed just over 49kg at the time of her death.
“A knitting pattern was printed on parts of the ulcer,” Ms. Marco said.
Instead of spending time in prison, Delaney’s sentence was suspended after a judge determined that spending more time in custody would only undo his ongoing rehabilitation.
He also had bacterial infections in his gallbladder and urinary tract and lesions and ulcers on his lower back, buttocks, anus, external genitalia and upper thighs.
The court was told Delaney said she never abused her mother when questioned by police.
He claimed he went to a doctor’s appointment the day his mother died and returned home to find her unconscious.
Delaney claimed not to have received any help from support services such as Blue Care despite Marco revealing that Delaney missed calls relating to her mother’s treatment and physiotherapy at Gold Coast University Hospital.
When asked about her overall feeling regarding caring for her mother, Delaney responded, “I know I did a shitty job, I know it’s wrong, but there’s no way I would hurt her.” I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I think I did well, but I’m not happy with it.’
Doctors had opined that Delaney suffered from schizophrenia and displayed “borderline cognitive functioning with deficits across the board.”
Her Legal Aid lawyer said the 61-year-old did not appear to be aware of her deficiencies and this affected her reasoning and ability to know that her care for Noelene was substandard.
The court was told Delaney was now receiving care through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Supreme Court Justice Melanie Hindman decided not to send Delaney back to jail, saying it would affect his rehabilitation.
Delaney’s five-year prison sentence was fully suspended.
“(Noelene) ended her life in a way that no one would want,” Judge Hindman said.
“No one would want to see any member of their family end up like she did.
‘It is necessary to take into account its deficiencies. They affect, not entirely, but substantially, his moral culpability for the crime.
Judge Hindman noted there was a “terrible” system failure not recognized at the time that resulted in Delaney being her mother’s primary carer.
“It is impossible for me not to have great respect for the misery his mother must have suffered in the last days of her life,” he said.
