The 28-year-old Deniliquin mother drowned her five-year-old son and tried to drown his older brother last March, but was found not guilty of murder and attempted murder in a Wagga court on Thursday on the grounds of mental illness.

After the drowning, Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised to launch an investigation into how various government agencies interacted with the mother in the lead up to the tragedy. 

On Friday, a spokesman for the Premier told The Daily Advertiser that those investigations did take place, but would not confirm what, if any, reforms had been implemented as a result. 

“All relevant agencies undertook internal investigations,” he said.

“As there are ongoing coronial investigations, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The verdict came after two independent psychiatrists gave evidence she was likely suffering from a host of mental illnesses, including borderline personality disorder and a psychotic disorder. 

Throughout the course of the trial, it became clear that the mother was under the supervision of multiple government agencies at the time of the drowning, and had checked in with her parole officer just one day before the incident. 

Giving evidence about her final visit, her parole officer noted the mother was “agitated, staring, and pacing around the room” and spoke of a “gut instinct” that her children were unsafe.

Later that same morning, she visited a mental health worker, who also noted that she was “very distressed, sobbing, crying” and speaking of not liking “where her thoughts were taking her”. 

She also made what the court described as “delusional allegations” about her family members to that mental health worker, who still concluded that she was not divorced from reality.

Another mental health worker who saw the woman reported her saying she had not slept much for the three days before the drowning, had little appetite, and was vomiting from worry. 

However, that mental health worker said she did not show signs of psychosis or thought disorder, despite her mother openly admitting she had stopped taking the medications prescribed to her while she was in jail. 

NSW Family and Community Services also noted she had “track marks on her left arm” and appeared “confused” and “very fidgety” when they visited her home months earlier.

That evidence combined led Justice Richard Button to conclude the mother was suffering from “a disease of the mind which led to a defect of reason” at the time. 

AS THE TRIAL HAPPENED: