The family of a young boy who died after being left on a childcare centre bus in 36C heat say they have been left ‘distressed’ by the tragic incident.
A day after the two childcare centre workers charged over the boy’s death fronted a Queensland court, the three-year-old’s family spoke out about their heartbreak.
The young boy’s uncle Nick declined to name the child for cultural reasons, but said his family were ‘trying to come to terms’ with the huge hole he has left in their lives.
The shattered family (pictured) of the young boy who died after being left in a daycare bus last Tuesday say they are ‘distressed’ by the shocking incident. They attended Cairns Magistrates Court this week in their bid to find ‘answers’
‘As you can imagine the sudden loss of our little boy has been distressing for the family,’ his uncle said.
‘It has left many of us with the difficult task of trying to come to terms with his loss.
‘He was a three-year-old boy who was deeply connected to his siblings, his peers and older children and he played a big part in a really close-knitted family.’
On Tuesday, Cairns Magistrate Court heard how the three-year-old was left strapped in a babyseat inside the bus for six hours last Tuesday, February 18.
It was only when Edmonton Goodstart Early Learning Centre director Michael Glenn Lewis, 44, returned to the bus that afternoon that the boy’s body was discovered.
The court heard that in the moments that followed Lewis made a distressing call to triple-0 and told an operator: ”I’ve left a child on the bus… this kid is dead.’
Lewis, 44, and his colleague Dionne Batrice Grills, 35, have both been charged with one count of manslaughter over the child’s death.
The boy’s family were in court for the emotional hearing on Tuesday, saying they are in desperate need for ‘answers’ about the tragedy.
The court heard the young boy had been put in a child restraint two seats away from the driver of the minibus (pictured) but child carers allegedly neglected to take him out when they exited the vehicle
Edmonton Goodstart Early Learning Centre director Michael Glenn Lewis (left) 45, and worker Dionne Batrice Grills (right) 34, both faced court on Tuesday, each charged with manslaughter
Moments after finding the young boy dead in the bus, Lewis (pictured) called triple-0 and told the operator: ‘I’ve left a child on the bus… my life is over’
‘At present, our families are working through a very difficult time in our lives by supporting and encouraging and looking out for each other,’ the boy’s uncle Nick said.
‘For us as a family this is an unprecedented incident and consequently it’s affected the lives of the community.
‘That’s been demonstrated by the support our families have received and we would like to thank everyone for their help, their love and their prayers so from our family we thank you.’
I’m going to jail, this is all my fault… my life is over
During Tuesday’s hearing, Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum told harrowing details of how the boy had allegedly been put in a child restraint just two seats away from the driver and front door.
Yet when the minibus being driven by Lewis arrived at the daycare centre, he and his colleague Grills allegedly left the vehicle – but did not take the boy with them.
He allegedly spent the next six hours sweltering inside the bus as the mercury rose to 36C.
At 2.45pm, Lewis returned to the bus to begin the afternoon drop off run, but the court heard it wasn’t until 3pm that he discovered the lifeless boy.
He then called Triple-0 and said: ‘I’ve left a child on the bus… my life is over’.
Ms Grills (pictured) is charged with manslaughter over the tragic death of a three-year-old boy at Edmonton Goodstart Early Learning Centre on February 18
The grim discovery was made on Stokes Street, Edmonton, in Far North Queensland, at 3.15pm on Tuesday. Police allege the boy had been in the bus since about 9.15am (Pictured: The scene of the daycare as police investigate last week)
‘Oh my God, this kid is dead,’ Mr Lewis could be heard saying on the recording.
‘Oh my God, I’m the director of the childcare centre… the child was left on the bus all day.
‘I’ve just opened up the bus and he’s here, dead… I’m so sorry buddy.
‘I’m going to jail, this is all my fault. Oh my God. My whole life is over.’
The court also heard allegations that Mr Lewis and Ms Grills had ‘fraudulently’ signed in the young boy more than two hours before the bus arrived at the daycare centre.
Police allege that the boy had been signed in by Mr Lewis at 7.35am last Tuesday on the Goodstart Early Learning Centre’s electronic sign-in system.
However, the boy was not collected from his home by the bus until 9.15am, and CCTV footage showed the bus did not arrive at the daycare site until 9.33am.
‘But the defendant and co-accused failed to remove the boy from the bus,’ Police Prosecutor Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum told the court, The Courier Mail reports.
‘In a short trip it was forgotten that the three-and-a-half year old deceased child was strapped into a seat in the bus.
‘There wasn’t even a cursory glance.’
Police will allege that Mr Lewis – who was granted bail by the Magistrates Court – was obtaining taxpayer-funded benefits as part of the ‘fraudulent’ sign-in process.
Earlier on Tuesday his colleague Ms Grills – who had worked at the daycare centre for less than a month – also faced court.
Police allege Ms Grills was on the bus with Mr Lewis for the morning run, before the centre manager made the grim discovery when he returned to the vehicle later that afternoon.
The court heard that Ms Grills had been employed at the daycare centre for less than a month when the incident occurred.
Ms Grills was granted strict conditional bail and is forbidden from contacting her ex- colleagues, her co-accused or the dead child’s family, except through her lawyers.
She was ordered to return to court on March 18.
The boy was found in a bus outside Hambledon State School, parked 1.7km from his daycare, Goodstart Early Learning, in Edmonton (pictured)
A relative of the boy told the ABC they were ‘distraught’ about what had happened and called the young victim a ‘cheerful little boy’.
He was just a cheerful little boy, that’s what I remember of him
Thomas Namok, a relative of the boy
‘We’re all distraught at the moment. We just can’t believe this has happened. We just want answers,’ Thomas Namok said.
‘The last few days have just been terrible but everyone [in the family] will continue to support each other.
‘He was just a cheerful little boy … we would always laugh every time he’s around. That’s what I remember of him. It’s going to be sad he’s not going to be around anymore.’
Queensland Police detective acting inspector Jason Smith said he hoped to provide some ‘answers’ for the family.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death
‘Her position as an employee of Goodstart Early Learning puts an element of responsibility upon her, and that forms part of the circumstances before the court,’ Det Act Insp Smith said.
‘The family are suitably distressed and very upset about this, and hopefully now that the matter is before the court they will get the answers that they need.’
A spokesman for Goodstart Early Learning, which operated the bus, previously told Daily Mail Australia the company was ‘devastated’ to learn of the child’s death.
‘We are working to support the entire centre team, our families and our children,’ the spokesman said.
‘The matter is now a police investigation and we will be working with the police, Department of Education (childhood education and care), and Workplace health and Safety.
‘Our thoughts are very much with the family of the child at this time.’
The centre was closed on the day after the tragedy, with an ominous sign in its car park reading ‘do not leave babies and children in parked cars’.