Autopsy results of the young couple killed on Australia Day will help police decide if the teenager charged with their murders faces further charges relating to the death of their unborn child.
The autopsies of Kate Leadbetter, 31, and her partner Matthew Field, 37, who were killed when they were hit by an allegedly stolen car in the Brisbane suburb of Alexandra Hills, are taking place on Thursday.
“We will await analysis of the autopsies but also legal advice in considering any further charges that might be applicable in this case,” Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd told reporters on Wednesday.
While he could not go into detail about the 17-year-old alleged offender’s history with the case before the court, Mr Codd said some of the reporting had been incorrect.
“There is some reporting about the offender being on bail for a large number of serious criminal offences analogous to the incident that we saw on Tuesday. That is not correct,” he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she is open to tightening bail laws if necessary.
“If there’s anything more that we can do to strengthen our laws we absolutely will, but at the middle of last year, we actually tightened the laws significantly. We said that there is a presumption against bail,” she told Nine’s Today program.
“So I want to know very clearly why the courts released this young man as well. We don’t have answers here that I want, and the community wants, and the families want.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the government had committed to more than 2000 extra police over the next four years and invested more than $500 million in youth justice.
She said the community and governments needed to step up and deal with youth justice but she was careful when asked if magistrates needed to do the same.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said Queensland’s breach of bail laws were broken.
“We’ve long advocated for a bit of common sense in the Youth Justice Act, we’ve long advocated that breach of bail should again be an offence,” he said.
“We will hold the government to account. I do not want to wait four years because there will be more people whose lives are ripped apart.”
Police allege the 17-year-old male ran a red light and deliberately collided with a truck at an intersection before the 4WD rolled and ploughed into the couple who were crossing the road.
Outside court on Wednesday, the teen’s lawyer Patrick Horgan said it had been a “very traumatic experience for everyone involved” and declined to comment further.
The teen has been remanded to reappear by video link in March.
Earlier
A teenager charged with murder after a couple was struck and killed by an allegedly stolen LandCruiser in Brisbane could also be charged over the death of an unborn child.
The 17-year-old from Logan, who cannot be identified, did not appear as the matter was mentioned briefly in the Children’s Court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody.
Family were left devastated after Brisbane couple Kate Leadbetter, 31, and Matthew Field, 37, were killed while walking their dogs on Australia Day.
Police are waiting for confirmation of Ms Leadbetter’s pregnancy and Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said there was provision for offences relating to the killing of unborn children.
“That is certainly something we’ll be considering as part of the ongoing investigation,” he said.
Police allege the 17-year-old boy ran a red light and collided with a truck at an intersection before the 4WD rolled and ploughed into the couple who were crossing the road.
They both died at the scene on Finucane Road in Alexandra Hills and it’s alleged the teen fled before stealing a set of keys from a nearby house.
He was then arrested by police after being disturbed by the resident.
“Here’s two people going about their business innocently on Australia Day, walking their dogs, they should be entitled to do that,” Mr Codd said.
“To have them ripped away from their families is an absolute tragedy, and I can assure you it’s impacted very heavily on the first responders and witnesses who faced that.”
A Facebook post on a Queensland lost pets page issued an urgent call to help locate the couple’s dog, Frankie, that reportedly ran from the crash scene.
It’s understood Frankie has now been found and a GoFundMe campaign as been started to pay for the dog’s medication as she suffers from Addison’s disease.
It will be alleged the boy deliberately collided with another car at the same intersection shortly before the couple were killed.
Police believe the LandCruiser was stolen from a home in Cleveland earlier that afternoon.
The 17-year-old was charged with two counts of murder as well as offences relating to dangerous driving while under the influence of an intoxicant and burglary.
Outside court, the teen’s lawyer Patrick Horgan said it had been a “very traumatic experience for everyone involved” and declined to comment further.
Mr Horgan strongly objected to media applications to be present as the matter was heard, saying it could be prejudicial to the teen’s right to a fair trial.
His objection was overruled by magistrate Rosemary Gilbert.
“They are charges which are of an extremely serious nature,” she said.
“There is in my view good reason to allow the reporting of he proceedings today.”
The teen has been remanded to reappear by videolink in March.
On Wednesday evening dozens of people gathered near the crash site and laid flowers in tribute to Ms Leadbetter and Mr Field.
