Witnesses have told a coroner that before a Logan mother left her toddlers to die inside a hot car, she was repeatedly reported to child safety for putting the girls "in danger" with heavy drug use and risky conduct in the car.
WARNING: This story contains content that readers may find distressing.
An inquest has begun in Brisbane, which is examining the deaths of two-and-a-half-year-old Darcey-Helen and her 13-month-old sister Chloe-Ann at Waterford West in November 2019.
The sisters died of hyperthermia after they were deliberately left inside their mother's car for several hours with the doors and windows closed as internal temperatures reached upwards of 60 degrees Celsius.
Their mother, Kerri-Ann Conley, admitted she went inside and used her phone and fell asleep after passing out from taking methylamphetamine.
Last year the 32-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, and other drug offences, and was sentenced to nine years in jail.
At that time, it was revealed by an ABC investigation, the toddlers had been well known to child safety officers, who had received repeated warnings about Conley and her drug use.
Now a coroner has been tasked to probe the department's dealings with the girls and their mother during their short lives.
On Monday, several family members of Peter Jackson, the father of Darcey, gave evidence in the Coroners Court.
Mr Jackson's aunt Deborah Jackson told the court Conley was a "very quiet girl" when they first met, but they became close over time.
She told the court the couple had initially seemed to be "getting a long quite well", but after some time her nephew raised issues about Conley using drugs when he discovered cannabis and paraphernalia hidden in her car.
"He was deadset against [drugs]," she said.
Mother told nurse 'it's my baby I'll do what I want', court hears
In 2018, when Conley was pregnant with Darcey, Ms Jackson recalled her confessing "I don't want the baby, it's a girl", and she would "dump her on Peter's doorstep".
However, Ms Jackson told the court Conley's attitude changed once Darcey was born and "she loved that little girl", but she was also displaying concerning behaviour immediately after her birth.
Ms Jackson told the court at one point Conley left her newborn with Mr Jackson's teenage daughter in the hospital ward for a long period and when she returned a nurse told her "you can't leave the baby with a minor".
"[Conley yelled] it's my baby I'll do what I want," she said.
For the remainder of her hospital stay, Ms Jackson told the court nurses had said to her Conley frequently asked them to watch Darcey, and would not return for several hours.
Ms Jackson told the court she believed this was so Conley could leave to purchase drugs and take them in her car.
The court heard Mr Jackson and Conley separated in the weeks after their daughter was born, and Darcey and her mother moved into a unit.
Ms Jackson recalled visiting that home and told the court it always looked like a "bomb went off" inside.
"It was dirty, it was never clean, there were dishes everywhere … clothes everywhere," she said.
Ms Jackson also testified on one occasion during this time, Conley had insisted Darcey could remain inside the car, telling her "she'll be fine there" and did not need to be taken out.
The court heard when Darcey was several months old, the Department of Child Safety removed her from her mother's care after reports were made about her using "harder drugs" and being involved in traffic accidents whilst she was in the car.
Ms Jackson told the court after several weeks, child safety officers told her they would be returning Darcey to Conley's care, because it was close to Christmas and "every family should have their children with them" at that time.
'Darcey was in danger'
Her daughter Tamra Jackson told the court during this time Mr Jackson, who was her cousin, had said to her he believed his daughter was not safe.
"Darcey was in danger," she said he told her.
The court heard when a decision was made to return Darcey to her mother, Tamra became upset and frustrated with child safety representatives and said to one staff member, "if anything happens to this child you will be held accountable".
"I meant what I said because nothing got done," Tamra told the court.
"There should have been a full investigation."
Ms Jackson told the court the Department of Child Safety "clearly knew" of Conley's continued drug use, recalling one occasion where she said a staff member was present when the mother admitted purchasing urine online to ensure she passed drug tests.
She also recounted a time where a text message was sent which said "stay off that sh*t if you can".
"She never came off [drugs]," she said.
Mr Jackson's mother Deanne Power testified that at some point after Chloe-Ann was born, her son told her Conley had continued to take drugs, and there was one occasion where she had been minding Darcey and the toddler appeared drug effected.
"She was banging her head against the wall… trying to climb the wall and she was screaming," she said.
The court heard when Mr Jackson was made aware of this, he took his daughter to the hospital where she received a visual doctor's exam but had to leave before she could take a urine test.
Following this incident, Ms Power told the court she and Mr Jackson contacted the Department of Child Safety to report it, as well as Conley hosting "drug parties" while her daughters were in the house.
"We never heard anything back from child safety," she said.
The inquest before State Coroner Terry Ryan continues.
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