Lawyers for manslaughter-accused mum of Broncos forward seek phone application data as Supreme Court case stalls

News.com.au

18 hours ago

Lawyers for an NRL star's mother, who is charged with killing three people in a horror triple-fatal crash, are seeking further evidence from her mobile phone applications they say are important to their case.
Uiatu 'Joan' Taufua is due to stand trial in the Supreme Court on three counts of manslaughter stemming from a devastating crash in Bonogin, in the Gold Coast hinterland region, in December 2022.
Police allege Ms Taufua was driving a black 2017 Mercedes wagon when it collided with another car just before 5pm on December 30 that year.
Susan Zimmer, 70, her partner Chris Fawcett, 79, and Ms Zimmer's 35-year-old daughter Steffanie were in a silver Mercedes when it was knocked from the road into a power pole from the force of the collision.
All three died.
Ms Taufua, the mother of Broncos forward Payne Haas, was the sole survivor.
On Wednesday, Brisbane Supreme Court was told an interstate psychiatrist had seen Ms Taufua since the last adjournment and a report was being prepared in relation to the charges.
Family members of the Zimmer family were seated in the public gallery to watch the proceedings.
Defence barrister Martin Longhurst said another four weeks would be required due to the need for 'objective evidence' to be obtained from applications on Ms Taufua's phone.
Mr Longhurst said the family was attempting to obtain backups from the phone's iCloud to hand over to the psychiatrist.
He said he had not received instructions regarding the delay over the issue with the phone applications.
Justice Lincoln Crowley reminded him a form for such a request still needed to be submitted a day before the review – necessitating an adjournment application instead.
'That's not necessarily your obligation to do that … (it's the) solicitor with carriage of the matter,' Justice Crowley said.
Mr Longhurst asked the court to set a date for the submissions on the report in three months.
'I have instructions that Ms Taufua wishes to engage King's Counsel to settle the submission,' he said.
'The factual basis advanced by the brief (of evidence) isn't particularly complex, it really is a submission based on the psychiatric evidence.'
The Crown prosecutor called the length of time 'unacceptably long' and submitted it could have been done earlier.
An indictment in the Supreme Court was presented back in March.
Justice Crowley ordered the submissions on the report be delivered by October 16 before adjourning the matter to the same date for a further review.
Ms Taufua remains in custody on remand.
She was committed to stand trial on the charges following a committal hearing in Southport Magistrates Court in November last year.
Supporters of the victims' families and Ms Taufua's own family packed out the court as she waved and smiled to her group in the public gallery.
Asked by magistrate Jane Bentley if she wanted to say anything in response to the committal, Ms Taufua answered 'No, Your Honour'.
There were 34 witness statements tendered to the court.
In a memorial to her sister and mother in early 2023, Claudine Snow said growing up with Susan and Steffanie was like 'the three amigos'.
She remembered her mum always having a 'magic smile' despite her tough upbringing.
'Susan endures many obstacles but possessed immense talent and an even fiercer resolve,' Ms Snow said to the packed crowd at Bill Deacon Pavilion at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds.