Mother charged over 2yo girl's death
An Adelaide Hills mother has been remanded in custody after facing court charged with murdering her two-year-old daughter.
Detectives said the 38-year-old Macclesfield woman led them to the toddler’s body on a rural property.
Police were called to a Flaxley property at 11.30pm last night when the distraught mother mysteriously arrived at the door.
“Police spoke with that woman at length and as a result of speaking to her, they coordinated a search of a different property looking for a two-year-old child,” Chief Inspector Julie Thomas told reporters today.
Just before 7am they found the girl on the edge of a dam next to a vacant house.
Her mother’s car was parked in between trees nearby, just off a dead-end dirt road.
Forensic police collected evidence from the scene while Catherine Anna Pallin was taken to the Mt Barker police station and charged with murdering her daughter Ayeesha.
Flaxley locals woke up to the shocking news. Many collected their mail from a tiny post office only a couple hundred metres from where the toddler was found.
“Oh my god, that’s unbelievable, I can’t believe that would happen on Willis Rd,” one resident said.
Investigators seized the mother’s car for testing while she appeared in the Mt Barker court.
Her lawyer made no application for bail, but requested she be taken to James Nash House because of concerns about her mental health.
The Magistrate asked police to report back and remanded her in custody.
A shattered friend spoke outside court.
“This is an absolute tragedy, she was a beautiful little girl and Catherine is a really good mum,” the friend said.
