Tragic twins hidden by mum

A MOTHER of six charged with the starving murder of her 18-month-old twins developed a repertoire of excuses to prevent close family and friends from seeing the toddlers just before they died, a court heard yesterday.

Brisbane Magistrates Court was told the mother refused to allow close family to visit the twins and cut off contact with friends up to seven months before the pair died.

When the mother did let visitors in, she would prevent them from seeing the twins by offering a series of excuses, such as they were asleep or feeding, the court heard.

The twins' father, 29, and mother, 31, yesterday appeared for the third day of evidence in their joint committal hearing to answer charges of murdering, torturing and failing to provide the necessities of life to the toddlers between December 2007 and June 2008.

The decomposed bodies of the boy and girl were found on June 16 last year. A post mortem examination determined they died of malnutrition and weighed just 3.6kg and 4kg.

Under Queensland laws publication of the identities of any witnesses that could identify the couple's children is prohibited.

Siblings of the twins' father and their partners testified they had shared a very close relationship and regular frequent contact with their brother and his partner during their more than decade long relationship.

However, they said the normally sociable mother of four boys and two girls �C aged 18 months to 11 years �C soured about five months before the twins' decomposing bodies were discovered at the family's home at Sunnybank Hills, on Brisbane's southside.

The twins' aunty said she usually visited her sister-in-law about once a week, but that ceased in January last year. She said the twins' mother would refuse to answer the door when she went to the home.

At one point she told her partner she thought the mother had "gone a little bit weird" after the twins' birth in December 2006.

More than 10 close family members and friends, including the twins' grandparents, have testified the accused couple had been very close, loving and were devoted to their six children. But they testified the family dynamic seemed to fracture when the family moved from Meadowbrook, 25km southeast of Brisbane, to Sunnybank Hills in October 2007.

Magistrate Chris Callagahan was told that despite repeated telephone calls, mobile phone text messages, personal visits and requests to see the toddlers, the twins' mother would weave a story to prevent anyone from seeing them.

The hearing continues.

(Edit:Ruby)