The mother of a two-year-old boy allegedly murdered by his babysitter has told a Queensland court she noticed "red flags" about the accused in the lead-up to his death.
Lisa Rose Halcrow, 41, was last year charged over the 2018 death of Connor Horan in Warwick on the Southern Downs.
Ms Halcrow was babysitting Connor in August 2018 when he was taken to hospital with multiple head and internal injuries.
He was declared dead at the hospital on August 19, 2018.
After extensive investigations last year, Ms Halcrow was charged with one count each of murder and grievous bodily harm.
During a two-day committal hearing in the Warwick Magistrates Court, Connor's mother Emily said Ms Halcrow had been suggested to her as a babysitter by her foster mother.
'Lisa needs to back off'
Ms Horan told the court there were several "red flags" in the lead-up to Connor's death, including the frequency of requests from Ms Halcrow to babysit Connor.
"Lisa popped over at random times wanting to babysit Connor," Ms Horan told the court.
"It got that bad that Mum mentioned it, that Lisa needs to back off.
"Lisa was pushy, always wanting to have Connor.
The court heard Ms Horan had noticed a change in Connor after he suffered burns from an iron while Ms Halcrow was caring for him in August 2017.
"He never seemed to settle down at Lisa's. He would crack it if I said her name," Ms Horan said.
"He didn't seem to be himself. I thought he wasn't being a typical two-year-old."
'Turned up drunk, wanting Connor'
The court heard the pair had an argument one night when Ms Horan went to a poker game and had asked a friend to look after Connor.
Ms Halcrow had turned up "piss drunk" at the friend's place wanting to have Connor.
The court heard Ms Halcrow and Ms Horan then had a phone conversation in which Ms Halcrow criticised her for not spending enough time with her son.
"I just wanted to have some 'me time' … I was under a lot of pressure at that point," Ms Horan told the court.
The court heard Ms Horan found out from her mother after the two-year-old's death that Ms Halcrow had been "going around Warwick telling people (she) was Connor's second mother".
The court heard Ms Halcrow also tried to control Ms Horan over the use of Connor's security blanket, because she thought it was destroying the toddler's speech development.
Ms Horan said she had reached an agreement with Ms Halcrow not to pay her for babysitting "if she rocked up randomly".
Almost 80 statements have been submitted to the court as evidence.
Michael Turner, a friend of Ms Halcrow's, told the court she was constantly worried about Connor.
"She was a scared little mouse, she was fretting about whether Connor was ok"
"If Connor was (with Lisa), Lisa wasn't good company."
Mr Turner said Ms Halcrow's sons were full on and that Connor was a perfect child.
"Lisa wanted Connor in her life to fill something in her life that was missing," he said.
Mr Turner said he spoke to Ms Halcrow days after Connor's death and they both expressed disbelief the toddler had died after falling down stairs.
He said during the conversation, Ms Halcrow told him she felt she needed to be punished because she was responsible as she was there at the time.
Ms Halcrow has yet to enter a plea. The hearing continues.
