STABBED - 23 year old mother found dead in her New Auckland bedroom | News

STABBED - 23 year old mother found dead in her New Auckland bedroom

5th December 2008

Print
larger | smaller

The non-descript New Auckland home where Gladstone mother Joelean Lee Watsons body was found by police on Wednesday night.

GLADSTONE mother Joelean Lee Watson, 23, was found stabbed to death in the bedroom of her New Auckland home on Wednesday.

The shocking discovery was made after Ms Watson's ex-defacto partner Shaun Ross Andrew, 25, appeared at Gladstone Police Station about 8pm, and led officers to the scene on Erin Close.

Mr Andrew appeared in Gladstone Magistrates Court yesterday charged with Ms Watson's murder, and the attempted murder of the couple's two-year-old daughter.

He did not make an application for bail, and was remanded in police custody until March 5, 2009.

Gladstone District Inspector Graham Coleman yesterday described the incident as a tragedy.

GLADSTONE police officers worked tirelessly late into Wednesday night, attempting to comfort a two-year-old girl whose life had been changed forever, after her father was charged with both her attempted murder, and her mother's stabbing.

Believed to now be in the custody of her maternal grandparents, the girl was left asking for her "daddy", Shaun Ross Andrew, who was held in police custody after leading officers to the body of her mother, Joelean Lee Watson, in a non-descript New Auckland home.

It's understood Mr Andrew has been on suicide watch since Wednesday night's events, with police fearing the Rio Tinto worker may harm himself in custody.

Mr Andrew appeared in Gladstone Magistrates Court yesterday in a brown smock and blue shorts, looking very close to tears as Magistrate Damian Carroll read out the charges laid against him.

Duty solicitor Sharon Dekkers told Mr Carroll Mr Andrew had asked to be placed in protective custody, and that a psychiatric assessment be carried out, while he was to be held at the Capricornia Correctional Centre.

Ms Dekkers said her client has been on "a lot of medication" and also wanted Mental Health Services to assess him while he was held at Gladstone's Watch House.

Police also made a forensic procedure order application to Mr Carroll, which allows them to perform an intimate or non-intimate forensic procedure on the person named in the application.

Mr Andrew, who will be held in custody until March 5 next year, was not required to enter a plea yesterday.

Gladstone District Inspector Graham Coleman said while Wednesday night's stabbing was a shock and a real tragedy, he believed local residents would still continue to feel safe.

"It's devastating for a community like Gladstone to have to go through this," he said.

"Once is a tragedy, but three times is just hard on everyone... a real tragedy and hard to comprehend.

"I think people will just be shocked, unable to comprehend how it can happen three times in such a short space of time.

"But I don't think that because we've had a third (tragedy) people are going to be concerned for their safety while on our streets.

"There's no concerns about the safety in Gladstone... and we as an organisation will do our best and make sure it continues to be a safe place to live."

Inspector Coleman yesterday also praised police officers involved in the case for their hard work, describing the incident as a testament to their "professionalism".