A Gold Coast mother accused of killing two of her children for financial gain described her son as "a potato" with "no life" and said she "wanted to put something in his drink", a committal hearing has heard.
Maree Crabtree is charged with the murders of her son Jonathan Crabtree, 26, in 2017, and her daughter Erin, 18, in 2012.
Both deaths were initially considered suicides.
Ms Crabtree is also charged with torturing and attempting to murder another woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, over a seven-year period, as well as charges of fraud and obtaining a financial benefit by deception.
Police have alleged Ms Crabtree forced all three to take prescription pain medication over a prolonged period, which caused them to suffer from health and developmental problems.
It has also been alleged Ms Crabtree used their disabilities, and her children's deaths, to claim close to $1 million in insurance payouts.
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)'Jonathan's like a potato'
Former neighbour Gemma Buchholz was cross-examined at the committal hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court over statements she had made to detectives investigating the deaths.
The court heard Ms Buchholz told police Ms Crabtree said to her: "Jonathan's like a potato. He has no life. I just want to put something in his drink so he will just not be here."
Jonathan Crabtree had been in a coma in 2015, following a serious car crash.
Defence barrister Angus Edwards told the court the alleged comment would have been made while Jonathan was in hospital, but suggested Ms Buchholz changed her statement to claim it was made closer to the time of Jonathan's death.
"You said it closer to the time he died to make it seem like she had killed him," Mr Edwards said.
Ms Buchholz replied: "I've made mistakes but I'm true to what she said to me."
ABC News: Jessica Ross
)The court heard Ms Buchholz had also told police about a conversation at her child's birthday party that Maree Crabtree attended.
Ms Buchholz told detectives Ms Crabtree insisted on being called "Nanna Marie".
"Just her saying that and stating that, my hairs on the back of my neck raised up," Ms Buchholz said.
But Mr Edwards again cast doubt on the witness's recollection.
"You're twisting my words," Ms Buchholz said.
The defence barrister replied: "Your words change because you can't keep your story straight".
'I remembered seeing her do it'
On Tuesday, the woman allegedly tortured by Ms Crabtree was ordered to hand over her phone, which was alleged to contain crucial evidence.
The charge of torture against Ms Crabtree related to allegations she forced the woman to take prescription medication for years.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, originally told police Jonathan Crabtree had committed suicide because he had received "bad news", but two years later she wrote a letter claiming Ms Crabtree had killed him.
The woman told the court at the time of Jonathan's death she was under a lot of stress and "couldn't think straight" and decided to write down what had happened.
"I wanted to remember everything more clearly," she said.
Twitter: Maree Crabtree
)Under cross-examination, Mr Edwards suggested to the court that the woman had not remembered anything, and had instead made up the details.
"I did remember, but I decided not to talk to anyone until that time," she said.
"I remembered, but not much, just like the small details … I didn't remember them until I wrote all of them down."
The court heard that in the letter the woman said she saw Ms Crabtree give her son a drink laced with an opioid drug called Oxynorm on the night he died.
"I remembered seeing her do it," she said.
The court heard she told a friend what she had recalled and then spoke about it with her over social media, and also called another woman and told her over the phone.
The court was also told the woman was refusing to show police and prosecutors the social media messages between her and her friend.
"Everything was deleted before," she said.
"I just don't want anyone going through my phone — I own it.
"It's private … it's only for my eyes."
Mr Edwards said the woman had "told lies", and threatened to subpoena her phone.
"It's a bit hard to accept what you say just on the basis that you say it — someone has to check it," Mr Edwards said.
The woman is expected to continue giving evidence when the hearing resumes on Thursday.
