Geelong mum in custody
GOLD COAST BABY DEATH: Police quiz parents
A WOMAN from Geelong was last night in police custody after her baby daughter was found dead on a Gold Coast beach.
The baby’s father — a 48year-old homeless man — was last night talking to officers over the death of the little girl.
The girl was found on Surfers Paradise beach early on Monday morning but police believe she was killed at the Jack Evans Boat Harbour at Tweed Heads and her tiny body swept 30km north.
The baby had been living rough with her father and 23year-old mother in parks up and down the Gold Coast, including Jack Evans Boat Harbour at the mouth of the Tweed River.
Police divers yesterday scoured the harbour, a popular recreational spot surrounded by parklands and the Twin Towns Services Club.
The couple, who were arrested at Broadbeach on Monday morning, spent a second night in Southport Watchhouse last night after detectives applied to Southport Magistrates Court to detain them for further questioning.
Trevor Arbon, who runs Big Trev’s Watersports at the boat harbour, said police attended the park late on Monday accompanied by the mother. The couple had left a stroller at the scene. He said the family, who were travelling in a battered black Toyota Hiace van, had spent several weeks living on and off at the park.
“It was really sad to see the little kids just getting around in disposable nappies,” he said.
Mr Arbon said the father “walked around with a stick with some feathers hanging off it and was banging it on the bins, walking around”.
“A lot of the other homeless Kooris (indigenous people) here didn’t want anything to do with him. The locals were a bit off him. The mother seemed to really care for the kids.
“The last I saw them was two days ago when she had the kids on a blanket here (in the park overlooking the boat harbour.
“It’s so sad for those two babies. They could have been adopted. They were beautiful little babies.”
Robyn Greenside, who lives in her Kombi van and visits Jack Evans Boat Harbour regularly, said she gave the couple some money she received on October 30 to buy nappies and food.
“She’s (the mother) from a very good family in Geelong). She’s university-educated and met him up here at Surfers. I think they’ve been together for about three or four years and the family have tried to get her away from him,” Ms Greenside said.