A Tasmanian mother who tried to suffocate her six-year-old autistic daughter with a pillow has walked free from court after a judge ruled jail was not necessary.
The 43-year-old, identified only as DAH, pleaded guilty to assault in the Supreme Court and was handed a 15-month suspended sentence.
“This was a shocking crime and a terrible breach of trust but it is also a tragic case for both mother and child,” Justice Stephen Estcourt said.
The court heard the woman was alone with her daughter at her home on June 12, 2025, when she began messaging her adult daughter on Snapchat, saying she had “hit rock bottom” and “had enough”.
She later wrote: “I’ll be dead by then … but she will be asleep.”
Between 4:41pm and 6pm she held a pillow over the girl’s mouth and chest.
She then phoned her adult daughter and admitted she had “tried to suffocate” the girl.
“She’s alive. She put up a good fight,” the woman said when asked if the girl was alright.
The girl, who is close to non-verbal, was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital with petechiae around her eyes and down her face, neck and upper chest.
She was discharged the same day, with no lasting injuries expected.
The court was told the mother had suffered serious domestic violence, battled alcohol dependence and had multiple psychiatric admissions.
She has since stopped drinking and engaged with several counselling services.
Justice Estcourt suspended the sentence on the condition she commit no imprisonable offence for two years.
