SNAPSHOT OF A TRAGEDY
How did Geelong woman & Clonard graduate end up at the centre of Gold Coast homeless baby death?
THE Geelong community is in disbelief at how a bright young woman who attended a local private school ended up homeless and with her nine-monthold baby allegedly sacrificed to the sea by her 48-year old boyfriend.
Jacqui Mendes, 23, graduated from Clonard College in 2013 and grew up on a large property in Lara with her fam- ily. On Monday, her baby girl was found dead on a Surfers Paradise beach.
It is alleged Ms Mendes’ 48year-old boyfriend — the baby’s father — sacrificed the child to the sea, believing the baby was possessed by demons.
He will face Tweed Heads Court today charged with murder.
Ms Mendes and the baby’s father were taken into police custody on Monday.
Ms Mendes has been released without charge. The father faced an extradition hearing in Southport Magistrates’ Court yesterday wearing a white hospital gown. He sat in the dock with his arms folded, showing no emotion.
The court heard he was a violent schizophrenic with a lengthy rap sheet for offences including assault occasioning bodily harm.
Before being extradited to NSW, he was sentenced to 12 months’ jail for attacking a Gold Coast City Council worker in sand dunes at Broadbeach in early September.
Inspector Brendan Cullen, of Tweed Heads police, said a murder warrant had been issued for the man but declined to comment on the sacrifice allegations. “I can’t say anything about that,” he told reporters.
Police will allege the baby was murdered between 6.45pm last Saturday and 5am Sunday.
Insp Cullen said police divers were continuing to search Jack Evans Boat Harbour for clues and poring through CCTV footage of the couple’s movements before they were arrested at Broadbeach on Monday during a domestic incident, hours after the baby’s body was found.
He said autopsy results would be “extremely import- ant” in what was still a “dynamic investigation”.
Ms Mendes is understood to have started studying psychological science at Deakin University before moving to Queensland for her studies about three or four years ago.
It is understood Ms Mendes was estranged from her family but moved back to Geelong for a short period last year.
Ms Mendes, her boyfriend and their baby had been living rough in parks up and down the Gold Coast.