Dad issues heartbreaking statement after his four children are killed in crash
A dad has issued a heartbreaking statement after four of his children were devastatingly killed in a car crash.
James McLeod's former partner Charmaine McLeod, 35, and their children Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4, and Zaidok, 2 were all killed on 27 May 2019.
Charmaine's vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming truck on the Bunya Highway at Kingaroy northwest of Brisbane.
She and three of her children died at the scene, while Aaleyn died on the way to the hospital. The truck driver was also injured.
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Since that devastating day James has been looking for answers.
On Friday (16 June), the last day of public hearings in Brisbane took place looking into their deaths.
At the inquest, James spoke about his kids, saying he is 'no longer the same man' after losing his family.
As pictures of his children were displayed on screen in the courtroom, James said in his victim impact statement: "I was over the moon but nervous as heck when cutting (Aaleyn's) umbilical cord."
He told the hearing he was present at all of his children's births and gave them their first feeds.
"They were my whole world and still are. It breaks my heart that I will not get to see the rest of their firsts," he said.
He then spoke individually about his children, saying: "Aaleyn – Ally was a natural born leader would often bring all the kids together. She was kind and generous and liked to share.
"Matilda – Maddie was my little troublemaker. She was fun, outgoing, creative and adventurous. She loved making new friends.
“Wyatt – Wyatt, my first boy, was kind, gentle and sensitive. Wyatt easily made friends and got along with everyone.
“Zaidok – Zaidok was my baby, he was always getting into stuff, was always full of beans and was always happy. Zaidok really looked up to his siblings.”
The devastated dad went on to speak about how the crash has impacted his life, including how he can't be a passenger in a car.
"I am no longer the man I was. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and complicated grief," he said.
"I just feel like I don’t have a purpose any more. I loved being a dad, and it was the one thing I was really good at.
“I can’t be a passenger in a car any more. It gives me so much anxiety when I see an oncoming truck, terrified the truck is going to hit me.”
The coroner heard during the inquest that Charmaine struggled with her own mental health.
Police suspected the crash was related to allegations of threatening and abusive behaviour she made against James.
McLeod denied the allegations at the time of the crash.
Coroner Kerrie O'Callaghan will take written submission over the next month before preparing her findings.
Callum Jones