Mother faces court accused of murdering four-year-old girl

The mother of a young girl found dead inside her home has been charged with murder.

Four-year-old Cleo Rose Catterall was found unresponsive at the McInnes Street property in Lowood, about 60 kilometres west of Brisbane, just after 11pm on Monday.

Police confirmed on Tuesday the girl’s 31-year-old mother, Jessie Renee Phillips, had been charged with one count of domestic violence murder.

They declined to comment on the cause of her death.

“It was a terribly confronting scene for those responding,” Detective Inspector Michael Manago said.

“A postmortem examination will be conducted in the near future to establish greater clarity around how the child died.”

Manago said he understood the mother was the only adult in the house at the time of the death, but said police would “certainly” be investigating whether others were linked to the murder.

“I’m not going to get ahead of myself with what the motive, or potential motive, may be. It’s early days of the investigation,” he said.

Phillips appeared before the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon and was remanded in custody until June 16.

She did not enter a plea and will not be required to attend her next hearing.

CCTV footage taken from across the street showed a police car arrive at 11.12pm on Monday, with an officer racing inside the house.

Twelve minutes later, another car arrived at the scene, followed by two more.

In the footage, a man and woman can be seen coming out of the house.

The crime scene is in the eastern part of Lowood, a rural hub on a winding road north-west of Ipswich, in an ageing housing development.

Forensic investigators in blue suits were seen entering the low-slung brick house on Tuesday morning.

“It’s horrific,” Police Minister Dan Purdie told reporters.

“It’s tragic for the family, it’s tragic for the community, it’s tragic for the frontline police and emergency services that went there.”

Neighbour Peter Atkinson said he was devastated to hear the news, despite having never interacted with the family.

“It’s a bit shocking really, you wouldn’t expect it in Lowood … I did get emotional about it,” he said from the door of his home on Tuesday morning.

“It’s still a child … all her life in front of her and she’s gone now, it’s just ridiculous.”

He added major incidents on the street were rare.

“It’s not too bad, it’s pretty quiet generally. There are a few larrikins around, but what suburb don’t you get them.”

Premier David Crisafulli said he was troubled by the alleged crime.

“It’s just so deeply troubling, and I want to see a full and thorough investigation,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

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