Family’s fears that young mum was ‘using’ before she left kids to die in hot car
The grandmother of a young girl who died when her mother left her in a hot car told protective services the child was “in danger”, an inquest has heard.
Kerri-Ann Conley's children, Darcey and Chloe-Ann, who died in a hot car after being left by their mother.
Darcey-Helen Conley, aged two-and-a-half, and Chloe-Ann, 18 months, died on November 23, 2019 at Waterford West, south of Brisbane after the car they were in reached an estimated temperature of 61.5C.
Their mother, Kerri-Ann Conley, had left them in the car outside her home since 4am after returning from a drive to a friend’s place and using the drug methamphetamine.
Kerri-Ann Conley pleaded guilty in February 2023 to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to nine years’ jail to be eligible for parole in November 2024.
The Queensland Coroners Court opened a five-day inquest at Brisbane on Monday and heard from Deanne Power, the mother of Darcey’s father, Peter Jackson.
Ms Power said she had warned Queensland’s Department of Child Safety more than a year before the girls’ deaths that Kerri-Ann was possibly using cannabis and meth while keeping Darcey in unsanitary living conditions.
“I said that (Darcey) was in danger living with her mother … I said Peter (Jackson) had a phone call from the daycare lady saying Darcey had no lunch,” Ms Power said.
She said prior to the girls’ deaths, child safety workers were played a phone message in which Kerri-Ann Conley admitted falling asleep on the couch and leaving Chloe in the car all night.
Some of the issues the inquest will examine include the appropriateness of the response by the Department of Child Safety, and adequacy of its policies and procedures before the girls’ deaths.
Peter Jackson’s cousin, Tamara, told the inquest she became angry when the department decided to return Darcey to Kerri-Ann Conley’s care.
“Previously Kerri-Ann had admitted she was buying urine online and doing false drug tests. She said this in front of (a child safety support worker) but nothing was done,” Ms Jackson said.
Ms Jackson said she had shown police a text message from the same child safety support officer that told Kerri-Ann Conley to “stay off that s*** if you can”.
“They clearly knew she was using,” Ms Jackson said.
Darcey’s great aunt, Deborah Jackson, told the inquest Kerri-Ann Conley had been leaving the hospital after Darcey was born to use drugs in her car and had to be let back in by security guards.
“One time she went to her drug dealer and did not get back to the hospital until 3am,” Ms Jackson said.
Peter Jackson, who last year filed personal injury and negligence lawsuits against the Queensland government, was also due to give evidence at the inquest on Monday.
