A four-year-old girl with Down’s syndrome who was severely malnourished had been dead in her bedroom for probably two days before authorities were alerted, a court has heard.
Willow Dunn’s body was found at her Cannon Hill home in Brisbane on 25 May 2020.
More than four years later, her stepmother, Shannon Leigh White, appeared in court in the girl’s death and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous drug, namely cannabis, and one count of cruelty to children under 16, relating to a different child than Willow.
Willow’s father, Mark Dunn, was charged with Willow’s alleged murder.
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court that White failed in his duty of care to provide basic necessities and other medical treatment to his stepdaughter.
Mr Crane said White “was not paying attention or caring for Willow” in the days leading up to her death and only found out her stepdaughter had died after Dunn allegedly told her.
The court was told Willow died of severe malnutrition and also probably acute pancreatitis.
“He weighed 6.5kg, 45 per cent less than the acceptable weight on a Down syndrome-specific scale,” Crane said.
The court determined that he should have weighed between 13.6kg and 15kg.
Mr Crane said the boy was estimated to have been malnourished for months, rather than weeks.
“If Willow was conscious at the time, the likely symptoms would have been nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, inability to eat and pain,” he said.
The court was told Willow also had several sores on her back and hips, which due to malnutrition were likely caused by nappies, clothing or bedding.
Mr Crane said Willow also likely experienced “reduced mobility for weeks” before her death due to her level of malnutrition and also experienced “severe immobility in the days leading up to her death”.
Mr Crane said that when authorities found her body, it was dirty and covered in lice, indicating she had not been washed regularly.
The court was told Willow had been isolated from social gatherings for several months leading up to her death, including preschool and family birthday parties.
Mr Crane said “no one saw Willow” because, as the Crown alleged, White and Mr Dunn were “preventing others from seeing her” because she had begun to lose weight.
The court was told that Willow would stay in the house.
Mr Crane said White had even begun telling a “deceitful lie” when others asked him where his stepdaughter was.
“It cannot be ruled out that Ms White may not have seen Willow at all,” he said.
‘He should have worried about Willow… or intervened.
‘She was a stepmother, someone who acted like Willow’s mother.’
Little Willow weighed just 6.5kg when her body was discovered.
Willow’s father, Mark Dunn (pictured with Shannon Leigh White), is expected to stand trial in 2025 for the girl’s death.
White’s attorney, Paula Morreau, said her client expressed remorse over Willow’s death.
“Ms. White wishes to apologize to the Dunn family for the hurt and harm she has caused them,” Moreau said on behalf of her client.
‘She accepts her failure in her duty to care for (Willow)… and is very remorseful on her part and… very remorseful for having caused that harm.’
Ms Morreau said her client had not been Willow’s legal guardian but had begun to notice reduced mobility in her stepdaughter “around 2020”.
“About two months before (Willow’s death), she told (Mr. Dunn) to take her to a doctor on several occasions,” Morreau said.
‘Of course he should have called the emergency services at any time, but he didn’t consider it.
‘There was a confluence of factors that impacted his mental health at the time.
“IIt was unlikely that she would consider the possibility of dying.
Ms Morreau said White and Mr Dunn had been living in separate parts of the family home when Willow died, making her feel isolated, but admitted she did not enter the girl’s room for days before her death.
In a victim impact statement read out to the court, a young relative of Willow’s said the four-year-old was a “playful and cheeky” child.
The relative said he has been experiencing nightmares since “losing Willow.”
“I’m very sad about Willow’s passing, she will always be in my heart but she is now safe with (her) mother and is with her,” she said.
Judge Peter Davis adjourned his sentencing decision until a later week.
“The case is difficult and raises all sorts of issues and I will need time to analyse it,” he said.
This comes as White was due to stand trial in Supreme Court, but during her arraignment in August she pleaded guilty to a single count of murder.
Willow’s father, Mark Dunn, is expected to stand trial on charges of Willow’s alleged murder in 2025.
