A woman is alleged to have sent a photo of her six-month-old son sitting on top of a stove to her ex-partner after an argument between the pair, telling him "I'll cook the c***".
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The 31-year-old woman appeared from custody at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday, November 16, to apply for bail after breaching a family violence intervention order granted after earlier getting bail.
The woman cannot be named to protect the identity of the children involved.
The alleged offending was said to have occurred on November 7, after the 31-year-old, her ex-partner and their four children returned to their Ballarat residence from a trip to Torquay.
After the family arrived home, police alleged the woman attempted to force-feed the fruit to the boy, with her ex-partner intervening and removing the child from her.
It was then alleged the woman hit her ex-partner multiple times in the head with her mobile phone.
The man left the property soon after.
The man returned to the property and put the children to bed, and after another argument with the woman, left the property by jumping a fence and driving off.
Police then alleged the woman sent a video to the man, showing her driving with the six-month-old boy in "visible distress", sitting on her lap unrestrained in the driver's seat.
At 1.26am the following morning, the man allegedly received a photo from the woman, showing the six-month-old sitting on top of a frying pan on the stove.
The child was again in visible distress in the alleged photo, which was accompanied by the text "I'll cook the c***", and "Four minutes or I blow this whole place to ash".
Alleged follow-up texts sent to the man stated "take the baby or I will kill it".
At 1.32am, the man was alleged to have received another photo of the six-month-old, sitting outside of the house on the grass by the roadside.
The man returned to the residence, with CCTV footage allegedly capturing the woman stating "I will kill it, take him, get out of the car and f****** grab him".
The woman allegedly returned outside a short time later and asked to hold the child. When her ex passed the six-month-old to her, the woman was alleged to have started squeezing the child's head.
Police said the man then pushed the woman to the ground and took the child, calling triple-zero.
The court heard a total of four triple-zero calls were made during the night of the alleged offending.
Police arrived at the residence at about 2.18am, arrested and took the woman to the Ballarat Police Station.
She was charged and remanded to appear at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court, with an interim family violence intervention order put in place between the woman and her ex-partner and their four children.
The woman allegedly breached the order on November 11 by sending text messages to the ex-partner.
At Thursday's hearing, a decision on bail was delayed to seek adequate mental health crisis care for the woman, as well as evidence about her proposed bail address to be tendered.
She will reappear at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday.
- Relationships Australia: 1800 050 321
- headspace Ballarat (for 12-25s and parent support): 5304 4777
- Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
