A north Queensland mother charged with manslaughter after her two young sons drowned in a river has been refused bail and remanded in custody.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following story contains images of people who have died.
Leeann Eatts, 47, appeared in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Saturday morning on two counts of manslaughter after being arrested and charged on Friday.
She broke down in tears several times during her court appearance.
The bodies of three-year-old Jhulio Sariago and five-year-old Barak Austral were found in the Ross River in Townsville in February.
They had gone missing late in the afternoon on February 25 and police issued an amber alert six hours later when they had not been found.
Their bodies were pulled from the river the next morning after a desperate community search involving 100 people and a helicopter.
Ms Eatts' barrister, Michael O'Dea, told the court the prosecution's case was not strong, and it was a "long bow to draw" that the mother was responsible for her sons' deaths.
"Many children a year drown in pools each year — I don't see parents being charged for those offences," he said.
"It's an unfortunate accident ... and Ms Eatts is still grieving."
Magistrate Peter Smid said the safety of Ms Eatts and the community could be at risk if she was released.
"There would be considerable anger with the public at large against the defendant," he said.
Police prosecutor Kellie Mythen said officers had received 156 statements related to the case.
Ms Mythen said many witnesses lived near Ms Eatts and if bail were granted, members of the community might feel they were unable to speak to police without retribution.
Magistrate Smid said: "It is important that members of the community can freely speak to police and provide those statements."
Ms Mythen also told the court Ms Eatts had plans to leave for the Northern Territory.
Ms Eatts is also facing a range of other unrelated offences, including drug trafficking.
She was remanded in custody and is due to face court again on May 17.
Outside court, Townsville Indigenous elder Gracelyn Smallwood said the local community was deeply affected by the deaths of the boys.
"We are all shocked," she said.
"The fathers are in such a traumatic state they don't want to speak to the media."
