A 35-year-old woman charged with murder over the death of her four-month-old niece has faced court today, with her lawyer saying she is "distraught".
The baby girl was taken to the Logan Hospital, south of Brisbane, last month suffering life-threatening injuries. She was then transferred to the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane in a critical condition, but died the following afternoon.
Detectives from the Logan Child Protection and Investigation Unit and the State Crime Command's Homicide and Child Trauma squads were called in to investigate the death.
Police charged 35-year-old Sandra Leigh Houston, from Waterford West, with murder.
They alleged the baby suffered life-threatening injuries at Ms Houston's home.
Her lawyer Robert Burns said outside court on Tuesday that Ms Houston was the child's aunt and guardian and that the girl's mother had died a few months ago.
She appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court, south of Brisbane, where no application for bail was made.
Mr Burns said that Ms Houston was "distraught".
"It's still early days as yet — we haven't received all the police material," Mr Burns said.
"She's obviously very upset about the circumstances — more will be revealed once the brief is delivered."
Ms Houston will appear in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court again on Thursday.
