Kmart mum reveals her astonishing reason for leaving seven-year-old son in a hot car while she shopped forcing security guards to rescue the screaming child

  • Mother, 44, was doing groceries at a shopping centre in Townsville on March 21
  • She left her seven-year-old child in the car due to coronavirus and his asthma 
  • The mother pleaded guilty in court to leaving a child under 12 unattended

By Andrew Prentice For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A mother said she left her seven-year-old son in a hot car while shopping so that he didn't catch coronavirus.  

The 44-year-old mother, who cannot be named to protect the child's identity, went to the Stockland Townsville Shopping Centre in Queensland, on March 21.

She faced the Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday charged with leaving a child under 12 unattended. 

The woman's defence barrister Madonna Hayes said her client left the child in the car due to the COVID-19 outbreak and his ongoing asthma and respiratory issues.

'She was concerned by taking him to the public space of the shopping centre, it would expose him to the virus,' she said according to the Townsville Bulletin. 

Security staff were patrolling the Kmart car park at Stockland Townsville Shopping Centre in Queensland when a worker observed a child screaming unattended in the back of a car

Security staff were patrolling the Kmart car park at Stockland Townsville Shopping Centre in Queensland when a worker observed a child screaming unattended in the back of a car

'The information to the public was it (coronavirus) was a highly infectious disease and she felt she was doing the right thing leaving the child alone with the window down and with water.'

The court heard security staff were patrolling the Kmart car park when a worker observed a child screaming unattended in the back of a car.

The security officer noted the doors and windows of the car were closed and the car was only partially covered by shade. 

Police prosecutor Cody Rowe told Magistrate Ken Taylor the security guard opened the door to find hot air 'hitting the child in the face.'  

'The child's skin was red and hot to touch …the child was then escorted into the shopping centre to cool down and was given water,' he said. 

CCTV footage revealed the mother left her son in the car at 3.32pm. She returned to the vehicle just after 4pm.

The child was removed from the vehicle by security staff moments earlier, and the mother had to approach security to locate her son.

The mother pleaded guilty to leaving a child under 12 unattended and was fined $400. No conviction was recorded.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, was fined $400 in the Townsville Magistrates Court (stock image)

The woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, was fined $400 in the Townsville Magistrates Court (stock image)

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