The former foster mother of missing toddler William Tyrrell has successfully overturned a conviction related to her intimidation and assault of another child. The unnamed woman was previously convicted in March 2024 when Magistrate Susan McIntyre ruled that her threats to hit the child constituted intimidation. Additionally, she had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault for striking the child with a wooden spoon and kicking them in the thigh.
However, today at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court, Judge Miiko Kumar overturned her conviction regarding these incidents, although he acknowledged the offences occurred. Instead of a conviction, Judge Kumar imposed a 12-month conditional release order. Notably, five counts of intimidation against her pertaining to incidents involving the same child were dismissed by McIntyre earlier this year.
Moreover, in February 2024, there was a similar case involving William’s former foster father, whose conviction for intimidating the child was also quashed following a successful appeal in the District Court. Judge Sean Grant determined that the man did not intend to instil fear when he yelled in frustration while taking the child to school.
William Tyrrell, who was just three years old at the time, vanished on September 12, 2014, while playing at his foster grandmother’s residence in Kendall, located on the NSW mid-north coast. Despite extensive investigations, no one has been charged regarding his disappearance. Authorities have suggested a theory that his foster mother may have disposed of his body following an accidental death, a claim she vehemently denies.