Mother-of-two ‘blackmailed parents of a dying baby and stole $1000 from them’

Baby Amiyah (pictured) tragically died last week after succumbing to an undiagnosed neurological issue 

A Malaysian woman who allegedly tried to blackmail the parents of a dying baby has been labelled a ‘disgrace’ by the child’s heartbroken parents.

Siti Nurhidayah Kamal, 24, was today refused bail amid fears she will attempt to flee the country.

The mother of two is accused of contacting the parents of 11-month old Amiyah Windross and asking for $1000 for the return of a stolen mobile phone which contained precious photos of their child.

Baby Amiyah tragically died last week after succumbing to an undiagnosed neurological issue she fought since the day of her birth. 

Siti Nurhidayah Kamal (pictured), 24, was charged with trying to blackmail $1,000 from the parents of the dying baby girl. She was refused bail amid fears she will attempt to flee the country

Siti Nurhidayah Kamal (pictured), 24, was charged with trying to blackmail $1,000 from the parents of the dying baby girl. She was refused bail amid fears she will attempt to flee the country

Kamal allegedly contacted Jay and Dee Windross (pictured outside Ringwood court on Monday) after they made a desperate public plea for the return of the Samsung Galaxy S8 phone

Kamal allegedly contacted Jay and Dee Windross (pictured outside Ringwood court on Monday) after they made a desperate public plea for the return of the Samsung Galaxy S8 phone

Kamal contacted Jay and Dee Windross last Tuesday after they made a desperate public plea for the return of the Samsung Galaxy S8 phone.

Her lawyer, Royce Dekker, said his client intended to plead guilty to the charge of making an unwarranted demand for cash with menace when it is was eventually heard in the County Court of Victoria.

‘It’s despicable. It’s disgusting,’ Ms Windross said.

‘Why would anyone do that and she knew the position we were in. You could tell by the messages. How could you be so disgraceful?’

Kamal allegedly contacted the couple via whatsapp after they made several desperate posts on social media to help them retrieve the phone.

The couple believe the phone was stolen from the toilets next to Target at Chadstone Shopping Centre last Saturday week about 5.30pm.

‘The hours that we spent holding our daughter, this woman was sitting in her own house demanding money from us,’ Ms Windross said outside court.

Kamal allegedly contacted the couple via whatsapp after they made several desperate posts on social media to help them retrieve the phone. Her husband is pictured leaving court

Kamal allegedly contacted the couple via whatsapp after they made several desperate posts on social media to help them retrieve the phone. Her husband is pictured leaving court

Ms Windross left her phone in a toilet cubicle at Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre on April 20, and her husband made a desperate plea on social media to have it returned

Ms Windross left her phone in a toilet cubicle at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre on April 20, and her husband made a desperate plea on social media to have it returned

Ms Windross said she felt some relief Kamal had been jailed until her guilty plea

Pictured: an emotional Ms Windross outside Ringwoods court

Ms Windross said she felt some relief Kamal had been jailed until her guilty plea (pictured: an emotional Ms Windross outside Ringwoods court)

The Ringwood Magistrates’ Court heard Kamal and her husband had been working as Uber Eats deliverers earning $120 a day.

Mr Dekker said the couple left their children in Malaysia and had been trying to make ends meet when they fell on hard times and couldn’t pay the rent.

‘They’re earning more money than we are,’ Ms Windross said. ‘They earn more money then we’ve been living on on one wage each for 11 months and we have had to pay hospital bills, car parking – everything. Mortgage bills. And she’s in there crying because they don’t earn enough money.’

Mr Dekker suggested to the court Kamal could have been released with the three days she had already served in jail and a community based order had the jurisdiction not been moved to the County Court.

The court heard Kamal and her husband (pictured leaving court on Monday) had been struggling working as Uber delivery bike riders making $120 a day

The court heard Kamal and her husband (pictured leaving court on Monday) had been struggling working as Uber delivery bike riders making $120 a day

Melbourne couple Jay and Dee Windross' (pictured) 11-month-old daughter Amiyah had been fighting an 'undiagnosed neurological issue from the day she was born', and died on Wednesday morning

Melbourne couple Jay and Dee Windross’ (pictured) 11-month-old daughter Amiyah had been fighting an ‘undiagnosed neurological issue from the day she was born’, and died on Wednesday morning 

He complained the delay in bringing her to justice there – estimated to take about six months – was excessive.

Mr Dekker argued his client was no longer a flight risk as she had handed over her passport and had a stable address in Springvale.

But Magistrate Jan McLean disagreed and refused bail.

Ms Windross said she felt some relief Kamal had been jailed until her guilty plea.

‘She will have to suffer the consequences of what she’s done,’ she said.

Mr Windross said Kamal’s timing of the scam could not have come at a worse time.

Kamal had contacted the couple as they spent their last precious moments with her.

A woman tried to exploit the couple's vulnerability by extorting $1000 out of them while their daughter was dying

A woman tried to exploit the couple’s vulnerability by extorting $1000 out of them while their daughter was dying 

Kamal's busband (pictured centre) did not comment when he left court on Monday after his wife was refused bail

Kamal’s busband (pictured centre) did not comment when he left court on Monday after his wife was refused bail  

Mr Windross said she continued to text him through the night while he had been trying to spend ‘every emotional minute’ with his child.

‘It was a hoax. Not only was it a complete and utter waste of my time, it was interrupting my final moments with my dying daughter,’ he wrote on Facebook.

Outside court, the couple said they hoped Kamal would receive justice.

‘She needs to get everything that (the court) are capable of giving to her. She has children. She has two children that are still alive – I don’t have my baby anymore,’ Ms Windross said.

The couple again urged anyone who had the phone to make contact with them.

‘I don’t have my baby anymore, I can’t take anymore photos of my baby. I don’t care who you are,’ Ms Windross said.

‘Give it back … you don’t have to tell me who you are or where you are. Just put the phone somewhere and let someone know where it is so that I can have it back.’

Kamal will reappear in court tomorrow. 

Kamal (pictured) had contacted the couple as they spent their last precious moments with their dying daughter

Kamal (pictured) had contacted the couple as they spent their last precious moments with their dying daughter

Outside the court, he couple again urged anyone who had the phone to make contact with them

Outside the court, he couple again urged anyone who had the phone to make contact with them

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