A prosecutor has described allegations that a mother dropped her eight-week-old baby over a fence in a bid to hide her child from police as "extremely disturbing".
The 25-year-old woman, who cannot be named to protect the child's identity, has pleaded not guilty to damaging property and two counts of common assault.
She cried throughout her bail application at Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, while her mother appeared in the courtroom and repeatedly interrupted proceedings, begging the magistrate to release her daughter.
"Please be quiet ma'am," Magistrate Claire Girotto said several times.
"This will probably all sort out if you stop carrying on like mad chooks."
Police will allege the woman, who was living with her grandmother at Warrawong, arrived home drunk on the evening of Tuesday, September 5.
An argument allegedly erupted between the pair and continued for the next few hours. The woman allegedly pushed her grandmother in the loungeroom, causing her to fall back into her chair.
The woman is accused of going to the dining room and causing a large hole in the wall, before she picked up her baby and walked outside, catching the attention of a neighbour.
Police claim the neighbour noticed the baby wasn't wrapped in a blanket, so provided one to keep her warm.
When officers arrived shortly after, they saw the neighbour had hold of the baby, however the woman allegedly snatched back her child and walked back inside the home.
The neighbour repeatedly told police "you need to take that baby off her", according to tendered court documents.
Police will allege they went to the address and were greeted by the grandmother who disclosed the incident as the woman continually attempted to interrupt.
The woman allegedly then walked into the backyard while police heard crying from the side of the house.
Officers entered and allegedly saw the woman walking back to the house without her baby. Police went outside, looked over a 1.5 metre Colourbond fence, and saw the baby lying face down.
They immediately jumped the fence to pick her up and will allege the woman dropped her. A crime scene was established.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Corrin opposed the woman's release, citing the safety of the baby as the main concern.
"The allegations are extremely disturbing ... drugs and alcohol seem to be an issue," Sgt Corrin said.
The woman denied she dropped her child and said she was "hiding my baby from the police". The court heard the child is now in the care of Family and Community Services.
Magistrate Girotto bailed the woman to a Riverina address and fixed conditions for her to report to police weekly, not enter Warrawong, comply with an apprehended violence order, and not contact her grandmother or child.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
