13/11/2021
As a family we have penned this letter to try and start the facilitation of healing… but this is not over!
Dear Kerry,
We knew little of you, except to say and have a few words as you walked every morning. We found out a little more the day you came driving up to our property, exited your vehicle, oozing determination and intent. You handed us a pamphlet with a cover letter you had penned, and discussed with so much passion and determination how the proposed State Highway, earmarked either close or through some of your property would affect not only you but local residents. We thank you for bringing this to our attention, as we hadn’t heard about it and just so you know we did attend the consultation meeting!
I’d like to take the time to explain a few things about Xavier you may not have known. Did you know that Xavier took nearly 4 years to speak sounds that were somewhat decipherable? Did you know that his little brain gets so scrambled sometimes he can’t think clearly or effectively? Did you know that he has been exposed to more situations in his small time here then we do in a life time? He was subject to some pretty ordinary situations and experiences when undertaking visitation, he then visited his father everyday for a whole week prior to him undergoing brain surgery and potentially coming out not remembering Xavier, he experienced 2 years of his fathers absence and is now going through a soft reintroduction to his father and family?
Did you know when Xavier was 5 he was popped through a mirage of tests which gave him more labels then we could count? Did you know after some of the experiences aforementioned above Xavier’s symptoms became more heightened and new ones developed? Did you know that the first time calm swept over Xavier, on an otherwise terrible day, was when he meet the Blue through the puppy cam?
Did you know that on the 18 August 2021 I was so incredibly grateful for the people in our street? I could not have asked for a better place to live. You see my daughter was involved in a horse accident whilst my partner was at the shop and our eldest child (20) was home, but due to head phones he didn’t hear her scream. But the neighbours next door and across the road did. They rushed to her aid, rang ambulances and waited patiently with her as I made my way home from Brisbane city. It took 45 mins to prepare her for transport and they waited with her, sorted Xavier (who mind you was a little bit of a hero here) and helped Jason. We received phone calls from people in the street who had witnessed the two ambulances and the doctor ambulance arrive at our property. We were incredibly grateful for the members of our street.
As we sat in court and listened to your version of what occurred surrounding the disappearance of Blue this is what was presented by your solicitor:
- You claimed that you found Blue running through your farm chasing cattle and kangaroos.
- You advised that upon doing this you caught the dog, used a lead to hold her, walked her passed the witnesses and tied her to the cattle yards.
- You further advised that the dogs from our property were not well maintained and constantly harassed you on your morning walk.
- Your solicitor then advised that Blue appeared on your front door step when you were taking off your shoes from your morning walk, and Blue urinated on your front door step so you grabbed a makeshift strap and walked the dog into the farm and tied her to the cattle yards.
- You contacted your brother and the cattle hand to “get rid of the dog”.
- There was phone messages previously to advise some dogs on your property. These were sent to your brother. These dogs were not ours.
- During the search conducted by police they seized mobile phone evidence that corroborated the texts and phone calls between you, your brother and the cattle hand.
- Apparently after an attack of consciousness you went to check on the dog but the dog was gone.
You disposed of the lead by throwing it in the river
Perhaps you would like to consider the following and reflect on the statements you have made:
On the morning of the 20/08/2021, whilst doing the school run, something Blue did nearly every morning with us, I decided to leave her at home. I was going for an extended drive to collect Jason’s mum for his birthday dinner (postponed after the events on the 18/08). Xavier requested I take Blue but I said no.
Upon arriving home, and greeting my daughter and friend to find Blue was indeed missing we starting contacting residents in the street and walking the street in case she had gotten out. My thought went to you and your daily walks - maybe you had seen something?
So we went to your property, and went to the first house we came to. They informed us they had witnessed you walk into the property with the dog on a lead, lift her over the cattle grid, and return less then 5 mins later without the dog or lead. I breathed a sigh of relief at this point - Blue was no longer missing. Not sure if you realised but I actually had someone in the car with me.
So I drove to the next house I came to - after checking the sheds, the cattle yards and another house that isn’t on your property (but I thought was) it’s actually on your other adjoining property and made my way to the farm house. I was greeted by your brother who flat out denied he had any knowledge of the dog (disproved now), and I noticed that the horses had sweat marks on them. They had just returned from mustering the cattle (which were now loaded in the cattle yards) and were the only cattle we saw on the property as we were looking. I recall watching the cattle hand and his partner look at us from the bottom of the steps and say NOTHING. After querying if I could see the other houses your brother said yes.
So as we exited the property after having a decent look at all the areas close to where you were last seen with Blue, we came upon your house. I knocked on the door, greeted you and asked if you had Blue. You denied you had the dog and even requested my phone number in case you saw her. I provided this to you.
By this stage it was school pick up time and the witnesses had departed so we couldn’t chat to them. I went to collect Xavier from school and informed him Blue was missing. I watched the shutters close behind his eyes and his whole body change. His best mate was missing.
We went back to the witnesses that afternoon and asked again if they were sure. We spoke to you again and just asked if you forgot you had Blue and again you denied it. After figuring something wasn’t true, I reported her stolen.
The next day we walked the entirety of the creek line we could see, up and down the roads. Do you remember when you departed for your walk and you ran into us at the horse paddock? I said to you the witnesses were dead sure it was you - you denied it again. So we kept searching just in case. Do you remember again when I was leaving, with Xavier in the car, I physically stopped my car and said to you “I hope you don’t think I’m accusing you of stealing the dog, but we have two sides here” you smiled a empathetic type smile and did a small giggle and kept walking.
I spoke to you within an hour of the last time Blue was seen, within three hours of her being seen by us at home, I spoke to you several times within the first 24 hours and you refused to say anything.
Did you know that we printed flyers, Xavier and Amiteal walked every inch of the pavements putting them up and into letterboxes? As a family we poured our heart and soul into searching for her.
You continued to walk the street on your daily walks, waving and saying “hi” to us and the children for the next 9 days. You said nothing! We continued to look and the more we looked and spoke to neighbours the more of your personality came to light and it wasn’t favourable for you, and our hearts sunk each time.
We were informed of the following anecdotal stories:
- you threatened to bait three dogs in the street because they were allegedly roaming on your property
- You have got angry at neighbours when you have stated their yards are in your opinion are eye sores.
- There have been at least three dogs killed on the street by vehicles from your property.
- You had a disagreement with a neighbour some distance from your property because you believed they were smoking ma*****na
We were not present at any of these events but they were depicted by several different sources. We started to have hope fade. We reported our findings to the police, who spoke with you and your brother. In fact you side nothing and denied everything. Your solicitor stated this was “due to embarrassment”.
Police searched your property with a warrant, and failed to locate Blue, but we think you would have known this anyway. Police seized your phone which had enough evidence to show your intention was to “get rid of the dog” and have her destroyed or at very least deprive Xavier and our family of Blue. The search was conducted nearly 10 days after she went missing and in those 10 days, despite the conversations we personally had with you, and the implications of Blue missing and the distress Xavier was in particularly, you chose to do nothing. It wasn’t until your phone was seized you bothered to admit anything and the story you gave was full statements that could be discredited. We would like to address the claims you made:
- Blue was constantly roaming the street and the other dogs of our property do the same. The dogs from our property constantly chase cattle and kangaroos through your property.
You have never once approached us with these statements. Blue lived in our back pocket - she was in training. The dogs are not uncontrolled and we live on a farming property with livestock. The dogs are well trained from a young age that livestock are not sport. IF, you had encountered this problem with our animals then I believe you would have raised this issue with us, something to date you still have not done.
As an assistant training dog Blue spent the majority of the time with Xavier and our family. She traveled with us and was rarely left at home. If she was at home, with no one home, she was confined to either her crate or the deck run. We have logs maintained as part of her training.
- Blue urinated on your front porch.
Whilst I can’t categorically say she did not do this, I find it difficult to believe. Blue was trained to only toilet in particular places, and unless she was confined to this space and unable to move I have difficulty believing this occurred. Furthermore if she was restrained there, we would have, seen or heard here upon entry into your property. Remember how we said to you above I wasn’t alone looking for Blue?
-You caught Blue chasing cattle in your property and tied her to the cattle yards
We walked the cattle yards before we came to your residence, after we spoke to the witnesses. She was not tied there. I also find it incredibly hard to believe, if Blue was running around your 400 acre plus property, that you with a lung condition (This is well documented on Metro Health) managed to chase a small puppy across undulated land and through paddocks and catch her. Then your solution was to tie her to the only yard with cattle in it?
You had every opportunity to come forward at any stage to admit what and where Blue was. We are able to discredit your version of events in more than one way, which only leads us to believe you have no remorse. You have repeatedly refused to admit and come forward with the truth. If there was any substance to your story you would have approached use prior to this and raised the issue.
I would like to thank you for adhering to your bail conditions so we didn’t have to see you walk past each morning - it’s about the only neighbourly thing you have done.
Did you know when your cattle/calf got out and were running down the street, we caught it and floated it back to your property? Do you know why? It’s the neighbourly thing to do. This was before you stole Blue.
Did you know recently when the fires were at the end of the street we asked a neighbour to message you after my partner realised how close it was to your property and the risk it posed? This was after you stole Blue, and I couldn’t live with myself if I knew and something happened to your livestock or property. You dismissed it so readily, let’s be honest I didn’t want to message you directly so I asked a third party to.
Your actions have caused the family to live without security, caused regression and constant re-evaluation of our lives and street. You have taken more than Blue, you have taken so much power, confidence and achievement from each and everyone of our family. We only ask you return her so she can rest at home where she belongs.
You will forever in our eyes be a liar, thief and the lowest of the low. We have no issues advising others of your actions so they maybe wary of you. Today you submitted two character references, a letter of apology and several statements that can be disproven. We sat in court and listened to the fact you have been married for 35 years, you have no known criminal history, you visit your mother who is 91, you were unable to mother children with your husband in attempts to validate your good standing and apparent out of character actions. This does not change your continued and ongoing actions in this matter.
But today is the day we as a family are going to take some of the power you stole back. Today we sit down as a family and make a move towards healing… we thank you for attending court today to make a step in your journey and allowing us to take a step in ours.
But make no mistake we will continue to fight to Bring Blue home where she belongs. This story is NOT over!
