Starved twin toddlers left for at least a week, court told

A MOTHER-of-six charged with the starving murder of her 18-month-old twins allegedly left their decomposing bodies in a room of the family's Brisbane home for more than a week before police were notified, a court was told yesterday.

Police officers told the Brisbane Magistrates Court they thought they had been called out to a "prank" when ordered to go to a Sunnybank Hills home, south of Brisbane, to investigate a report twin toddlers had been found dead in June last year.

However, the court was told the officers' worst fears were realised when they entered a bedroom of the modest rented home and found the bodies of the pair lying in the cot amid an "odour of death".

The twins' father, 29, and mother, 31, who cannot be named, yesterday appeared for the first day of evidence in their joint committal hearing to answer charges of murdering, torturing and failing to provide the necessaries of life to the two toddlers between December 2007 and June 2008.

The court was told the twins had lived at the small single-storey home with the couple and their three brothers and a sister - aged between three and 11 - at the time of their death.

The decomposed bodies of the infants, a boy and a girl, were found on June 16 last year.

A subsequent post-mortem examination determined they died of malnutrition and weighed just 3.6kg and 4kg.

Sergeant Frederick Smid and Senior-Sergeant Brett MacGibbon both testified that when they arrived at the home they were met by a woman claiming to be the grandmother of the twins.

Both said the woman told them: "My daughter thinks she starved (the twins)."

Sgt Smid said he was still unsure whether the report was accurate until he entered the twins' room, which was pointed out to him by the mother, and "could smell the odour of death".

Detective Sergeant Anthony King testified he was taken by surprise when the mother responded to his question about how long she thought the twins had been dead.

He said the mother replied: "I think since last Monday."

Sgt King replied: "What, as in a week ago?"

Mother: "Yes."

The court also heard evidence the couple had relationship problems, with the father claiming they had not shared the same bed for up to six months.

Detective Senior Constable Brett Vickers said the father, who was very distressed at the time, told him he had not seen the twins for at least a month before they died.

The scheduled four-day hearing before Magistrate Chris Callaghan continues.

(Edit:Ruby)