A mother has allegedly threatened to murder and cook several Child and Youth Protection Services workers while likening herself to two of history's most famous serial killers.
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The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday charged with unlawful possession of stolen property, trespassing and failing to appear.
The chain of emails, for which no charges have been laid, were allegedly sent by the 38-year-old mother over several hours on one evening last week.
"I'm going to kill you all," she allegedly said in one email.
"I am literally a psychopath I'm not capable of feeling emotion all I like to do is kill people it's a passion of mine."
The alleged threats were sent to one worker but referenced several people within the territory's child protection services.
In the emails, the woman allegedly likened herself to American serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer, who gained further international fame as the subject of a popular 2022 Netflix series.
"I have disposed of ten bodies in my apartment. Why do you think I needed a cleaner cos there were dead body juices everywhere," she allegedly wrote.
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She is then said to have threatened going on a "killing spree with my shotgun" like Port Arthur massacre shooter "Martin Bryant" and perpetrating acts of cannibalism.
"I love eating human flesh for lunch," she allegedly said following references to cooking one of the public servants.
The woman also allegedly threatened to "steal" her child from school "and make us both invisible".
The court heard the mother was intoxicated and had stopped taking medication at the time she sent the emails.
Legal lawyer Ketinia McGowan described her client, who she said was "very clearly unwell at the time", as being "embarrassed" and "ashamed" of the communication.
"She did not mean those words," the lawyer said.
Ms McGowan also said the mother emailed the child protection service the following morning apologising as she "sought to actively make amends".
The court heard the woman had failed to appear before court as part of her bail undertaking in February while she was a patient at an adult mental health unit.
On the court's order, the woman was sent to hospital last week for a mental health assessment but was deemed suitable to return to court.
Magistrate James Lawton acknowledged her "short but not insignificant criminal history" but ultimately granted her bail after being satisfied set conditions could prevent the mother from reoffending.
One of those conditions included not consuming alcohol.
Mr Lawton refused prosecutor Bwalya Chifuntwe's request to consider the additional bail condition of preventing the woman from contacting her son.
She is set to return to court in June.
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Tim Piccione
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
