A woman who says her children's care is "paramount" used her teenage son to create a false alibi for an "incredibly violent" backyard bashing, a prosecutor has told a court.
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The 44-year-old woman appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court over the phone on Tuesday, and cried when Magistrate Beth Campbell refused her bail.
She has been charged with intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm by joint commission, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Police documents tendered to the court said the woman was complicit in her ex-partner's bashing using a metal trolley handle at her house in Kaleen on February 24, 2020.
The woman's ex-partner was trying to collect his belongings from the house when her new boyfriend, who has also been charged, allegedly struck him with the handle several times.
None of the people involved can be named for legal reasons.
The documents said the alleged victim sustained a fractured skull, eye socket, cheekbone, and arm in the attack. His head injuries allegedly began to bleed "immediately and profusely" at the Kaleen house.
Less than an hour before, the accused woman allegedly told her 15-year-old son over the phone that her ex-partner would be "going on a long holiday", as her new boyfriend laughed in the background.
Police said the woman told her 15-year-old son she could hear the "mallet hitting the concrete, if you get my meaning" while the attack happened. It's alleged she later laughed about the fact her 12-year-old son could have witnessed the assault.
The woman later told police she was at home with her son when her ex-partner came to collect his belongings, and no-one else was at the house.
On Tuesday, the woman's defence lawyer told the court that her "paramount" concern was the care of her eight children - six of which lived at home.
A prosecutor countered the point and said the woman used her son "to help establish her alibi".
"The [bail] application is made in a significant part by the defendant's desire to look after her children ... [but she had a] complete disregard for the presence of her 12-year-old son," the prosecutor said.
"The defendant has shown a complete disregard for the authority of police ... and has actively sought to mislead them."
Police also suspect the woman altered CCTV at the Kaleen house to make sure there was no footage of the alleged attack, and "continually changed her story as she was presented with new information".
She is also accused of cleaning the scene of the alleged crime.
"It's very telling that despite the very serious injuries ... there's only a droplet of blood and blood on some bushes," the prosecutor said.
Ms Campbell refused the woman bail on grounds including that she could not back-up medical claims, and "at least two of her sons were aware of the incident or close by".
"I, like the prosecutor, have some concern that she has not been frank with police," Ms Campbell said.
"I cannot take anything she says ... as truth."
The woman is due to appear in court again on April 14.