Assault on mum a mercy mission

A CAIRNS woman has escaped punishment for slapping her mother before she suffered a fatal heart attack after the court heard she may have been making a misguided attempt to revive her.

Tanaya Daniels, 23, and her mother Samantha had spent the afternoon of January 16 at Tobruk Pool before her mother’s face and legs began turning purple.

Police prosecutor Acting Sgt Sean O’Shea told the Cairns Magistrates Court yesterday the pair walked out of the pool before the older woman fell backwards onto the road.

Daniels helped her up and they walked across Sheridan St, where the court heard her mother fell over again. Daniels then struck her in the face several times.

“One of the witnesses state the defendant has gone to aid the victim and commenced walking across the street,” Acting Sgt O’Shea said. “The witness states that the victim did not respond to the slaps.”

The court heard police attended and took Daniels into custody where she was charged with common assault.

She pleaded guilty to the charge yesterday.

Her mother was treated in Cairns Hospital’s intensive care unit, but died last week.

Magistrate Sandra Pearson FREE: Tanaya Daniels, 23, at Cairns Magistrates Court. described the case as a “strange set of circumstances”.

“Perhaps the slaps that you administered were some attempt on your part to try and rouse her. You took it a touch too far,” she said.

“Obviously there’s been events which have followed which are much more serious and affect you and your family.”

Duty solicitor Nick Pagonis said her mother’s death and the related charge had caused “distress” to his client and Ms Pearson concurred. She elected to convict, but not further punish her.

“It seems to me that you’ve certainly got more to deal with than this minor offence so this is over and you can move on and sort out your mother’s arrangements,” she said.