A father charged over the death of his son allegedly woke from a drunken nap ‘laughing’ and tried to flee the campsite after realising the baby had died.
Jaye Lee Walton, 42, faced Ipswich Magistrates Court on Thursday for a bail application five days after the death of his son Reef Hunter Walton on July 12.
The fisherman was camping with Reef and his partner Amy Stevenson in Chatsworth Park, near Gympie in southeast Queensland, when the tragedy occurred.
Police allegations surrounding the case were heard by Magistrate Robert Walker, with Walton appearing via audiovisual link dressed in prison greens.
The trio were driving home to Innisfail, in Far North Queensland, but stopped to rest at the campsite, where Walton was noted to have drunk a four-litre cask of wine while caring for his teething son during the night.
When Reef became unsettled on Saturday morning, Walton offered to take him for a walk to the nearby toilet block, the court heard.
‘After about 30 minutes, you failed to return so she (Ms Stevenson) went to check,’ Mr Walker read from Ms Stevenson’s police statement.
Ms Stevenson allegedly found Walton asleep near the edge of a pond and Reef ‘facedown’ in the water, 10metres from the shore.
Jaye Lee Walton (pictured during his arrest) is facing manslaughter charges after his baby drowned at a campsite in southeast Queensland
Seven-month-old baby Reef was found face-down in a pond at Chatsworth Park (pictured), near Gympie on Saturday morning
‘(She) started screaming at you but realised you were asleep. She entered the water, recovered the child, returned to the bank and commenced CPR,’ Mr Walker read.
Witnesses at the campsite observed Walton ‘smiling or laughing’ when he woke up and appeared ‘oblivious’ to his son’s drowning.
‘You then fled on foot, but returned due to the actions of bystanders,’ Mr Walker said.
The magistrate also noted allegations from one witness who claimed to have seen Walton threw his son into the pond.
In her statement, Ms Stevenson claimed she was told by a woman: ‘The guys were saying they saw him throw him into the water.’
Walton’s lawyer, Mark Butler, said these were ‘hearsay comments’ as the alleged witnesses had not given statements to police.
He argued his client’s actions fell under manslaughter by criminal negligence.
Mr Butler added the family had no history with Child Safety and that Walton had an ‘amazing’ relationship with Reef and was heavily involved in his care.
The court heard Walton (pictured during his arrest) had an ‘amazing’ relationship with his son but suffered from alcoholism
The court denied Walton’s bail application citing he presented a significant risk to himself and others (pictured, Walton’s arrest)
‘There is no allegation than my client has been anything other than a loving father,’ he said.
The court heard Walton is a ‘high-functioning alcoholic’ and at serious risk of harming himself if released on bail.
While Walton does not have a significant criminal history, he has multiple alcohol-related traffic violations.
He initially agreed to undergo an alcohol breath test following his son’s death, but failed to complete it.
Magistrate Walker refused Walton bail, finding his release would likely be ‘endangering the safety or welfare’ of others due to his alcoholism.
Walton will return to court on August 4.
Police inquiries into the incident are ongoing and officers are still looking to speak to some alleged witnesses.
‘There is still a question mark from the officer’s perspective, at least, as to the veracity of the statement of someone saying they saw him (Mr Walton) throw (Reef) in,’ police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Michael Read said.
