Qld: Mother murder case jury to continue deliberations

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2000
Qld: Mother murder case jury to continue deliberations

BRISBANE, Aug 22 AAP - A Supreme Court jury today will continue deliberating whether
to convict a 12-year-old girl accused of murdering her mother.

The jury spent more than six hours yesterday in deliberations before Justice Glen Williams
decided they should be locked up for the night.

The jury had requested redirections from Justice Williams, asking for some evidence
to be reread, and querying the meaning of "reasonable doubt".

The girl, who is now aged 14 and cannot be identified, used her mother's .22 rifle
to shoot her in the temple while standing about one metre away.

The court was told the 48-year-old mother was found lying on her bed in her Sunshine
Coast hinterland home, had her glasses on and a piece of broccoli hanging from her mouth.

The daughter had prepared dinner - sausages and vegetables - as she nearly always had
to because her mother never cooked.

The prosecution has conceded the girl lived in an environment that was less than ideal,
but says she deliberately murdered her mother because she was fed up with her prescription
drug addiction and lack of domesticity.

AAP jfs/apm/de

KEYWORD: MOTHER DAYLEAD

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