Latest news with #ReefHunterWalton
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Dad's shocking act after allegedly throwing his baby in a pond
A father charged over the death of his son allegedly woke from a drunken nap 'laughing' and tried to flee the campsite after realising the baby had died. Jaye Lee Walton, 42, faced Ipswich Magistrates Court on Thursday for a bail application five days after the death of his son Reef Hunter Walton on July 12. The fisherman was camping with Reef and his partner Amy Stevenson in Chatsworth Park, near Gympie in southeast Queensland, when the tragedy occurred. Police allegations surrounding the case were heard by Magistrate Robert Walker, with Walton appearing via audiovisual link dressed in prison greens. The trio were driving home to Innisfail, in Far North Queensland, but stopped to rest at the campsite, where Walton was noted to have drunk a four-litre cask of wine while caring for his teething son during the night. When Reef became unsettled on Saturday morning, Walton offered to take him for a walk to the nearby toilet block, the court heard. 'After about 30 minutes, you failed to return so she (Ms Stevenson) went to check,' Mr Walker read from Ms Stevenson's police statement. Ms Stevenson allegedly found Walton asleep near the edge of a pond and Reef 'facedown' in the water, 10metres from the shore. '(She) started screaming at you but realised you were asleep. She entered the water, recovered the child, returned to the bank and commenced CPR,' Mr Walker read. Witnesses at the campsite observed Walton 'smiling or laughing' when he woke up and appeared 'oblivious' to his son's drowning. 'You then fled on foot, but returned due to the actions of bystanders,' Mr Walker said. The magistrate also noted allegations from one witness who claimed to have seen Walton threw his son into the pond. In her statement, Ms Stevenson claimed she was told by a woman: 'The guys were saying they saw him throw him into the water'. Walton's lawyer, Mark Butler, said these were 'hearsay comments' as the alleged witnesses had not given statements to police. He argued his client's actions fell under manslaughter by criminal negligence. Mr Butler added the family had no history with Child Safety and that Walton had an 'amazing' relationship with Reef and was heavily involved in his care. 'There is no allegation than my client has been anything other than a loving father,' he said. The court heard Walton is a 'high-functioning alcoholic' and at serious risk of harming himself if released on bail. While Walton does not have a significant criminal history, he has multiple alcohol-related traffic violations. He initially agreed to undergo an alcohol breath test following his son's death, but failed to complete it. Magistrate Walker refused Walton bail, finding his release would likely be 'endangering the safety or welfare' of others due to his alcoholism. Walton will return to court on August 4. Police inquiries into the incident are ongoing and officers are still looking to speak to some alleged witnesses. 'There is still a question mark from the officer's perspective, at least, as to the veracity of the statement of someone saying they saw him (Mr Walton) throw (Reef) in,' police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Michael Read said.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
‘Saw him throw him into the water': Witness claim at bail application for manslaughter-accused dad
A father charged with the manslaughter of his seven-month-old son following a drowning at a campsite woke up 'laughing' and attempted to flee when he realised the child had died, a court has been told. Police allegations surrounding Jaye Lee Walton's case were revealed during a bail application before Ipswich Magistrates Court on Thursday. Dressed in prison greens, Mr Walton did not react beyond acknowledging his name to Magistrate Robert Walker when he was beamed into court via audiovisual link. The 42-year-old fisherman is charged with the manslaughter of his baby son, Reef Hunter Walton, on July 12. The court was told Mr Walton, his partner Amy Stevenson and Reef camped overnight at Chatsworth Park, near Gympie, while travelling home to Innisfail in Far North Queensland. Reading from material filed for the bail affidavit, Magistrate Walker said Mr Walton was alleged to have consumed all of a 4 litre cask of wine the night before and still cared for his son – who was teething – through the night. The next morning, at breakfast, Reef became unsettled and Mr Walton said he would take the child for a walk to the toilet block and clean him up, Mr Walker said. 'After about 30 minutes, you failed to return, so she (Ms Stevenson) went to check,' Mr Walker read from the material. It is alleged Mr Walton was found asleep, 'lying down' at the edge of a pond and Reef was 'face down', 10m out in the water. '(She) started screaming at you, but realised you were asleep,' Mr Walker said. 'She entered the water, recovered the child, returned to the bank and commenced CPR.' Mr Walker read from Ms Stevenson's statement filed to the court, saying Mr Walton was observed to be 'smiling or laughing' when he woke up and appeared 'oblivious' to what had occurred. 'You then fled on foot, but returned due to the actions of bystanders,' Mr Walker said. The court was told Mr Walton – who was described as a 'high-functioning alcoholic' – agreed to provide a breath sample to police but then 'failed to do so'. Defence lawyer Mark Butler said his client's case fell into the category of manslaughter by criminal negligence, telling the court Child Safety had never been involved with the family. 'There is no allegation than my client has been anything than a loving father,' Mr Butler said. He pointed to Ms Stevenson's statement, which outlined how Mr Walton was heavily involved in caring for Reef, letting his partner sleep and describing the father's relationship with his son as 'amazing'. Magistrate Walker questioned how the alleged offence could be categorised as criminal negligence due to witnesses claiming Mr Walton was seen throwing his son into the water. He said Ms Stevenson claimed in her statement one woman told her: 'The guys were saying they saw him throw him into the water.' Mr Butler said these were 'hearsay comments' as those alleged witnesses had not given statements. The court was told police inquiries were still ongoing and officers were yet to speak to some alleged witnesses who may have been at the park. 'There is still a question mark from the officer's perspective, at least, as to the veracity of the statement of someone saying they saw him (Mr Walton) throw (Reef) in,' police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Michael Read said. The court was told Mr Walton had a traffic history containing multiple alcohol-related incidents but did not have a significant criminal history. Magistrate Walker refused bail, finding there was a risk of Mr Walton 'endangering the safety or welfare' of persons as a high-functioning alcoholic. He also pointed to alleged statements Mr Walton made after Reef's death, including: 'Well there's nothing else left'. The court was told Mr Walton allegedly put his head through the wall of the watch house interview room and had expressed thoughts of suicide and self-harm. 'There is good evidence that if released on bail, you would be a danger to yourself,' Mr Walker said. Mr Walton will return to court on August 4.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Jaye Lee Walton denied bail after being charged with manslaughter of seventh-month-old baby
A father charged over the alleged domestic violence-related death of his seven-month-old son has been remanded in custody. It is alleged 42-year-old Jaye Lee Walton committed the manslaughter of his infant son, Reef Hunter Walton, while they were staying at a campsite at Chatsworth, on the Sunshine Coast, on Saturday morning. Mr Walton appeared via video link in the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Thursday morning. The court heard that a witness had told Mr Walton's partner, Amy Stevenson, that they "saw him throw him in" to a pond at the campsite, north of Gympie. Ms Stevenson also told police a woman at the campsite had approached her and said "the guys are saying they saw him throw him into the water", the court heard. Prosecutor Senior Sergeant Michael Read said police were yet to identify the people who made those claims and were actively searching for more witnesses. The court heard Ms Stevenson found Mr Walton lying asleep near the pond and saw the seven-month-old floating face down about ten metres out in the water. Mr Walton had taken the child to the toilet block half an hour earlier, the court heard. Ms Stevenson jumped into the pond and began performing CPR on her son while paramedics were called. The court heard, Ms Stevenson told police Mr Walton then woke up and was "smiling" and "oblivious" before allegedly fleeing on foot, only returning due to the actions of bystanders. The court was told Mr Walton didn't answer questions from police and consented to a breath test but then failed to take the test. The court also heard that Mr Walton was an alcoholic and had consumed "about four litres" of cask wine on the night before the incident. Ms Stevenson told police Mr Walton had slept in the car with their son, who was teething, so she could get a better night's sleep as she was to be the driver the next day, the prosecutor said. In her statement Ms Stevenson described Mr Walton as a "loving father" who was the child's primary carer. Due to the serious nature of the charges, Mr Walton was required to show cause in order to receive bail, and argue why detention was not justified. Mr Walton's lawyer, Mark Butler, argued the case was one of criminal negligence, but Magistrate Robert Walker said there was a "clear suggestion" more serious charges would follow. In rejecting the bail application, Magistrate Walker said Mr Walton's multiple alcohol-related traffic charges showed he was a danger to the public. Magistrate Walker said Mr Walton was also a danger to himself, and he was remanded in custody. The matter is expected to be heard in the Gympie Magistrates Court on August 4.
