QLD: Woman pleads not guilty to abducting girl

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2008
QLD: Woman pleads not guilty to abducting girl

By Christine Flatley

BRISBANE, Aug 18 AAP - A woman on trial for abduction helped an 11-year-old girl run
away from home, a court has been told.

It's alleged Linda Hay, 38, from Burpengary, north of Brisbane, collected the girl
from a Brisbane train station on November 18, 2006, without the permission of her father,
who had sole custody of the child.

The Brisbane District Court was today told the girl had gone to the station after storming
out of her father's girlfriend's home following an argument about playing video games.

Prosecutor Dennis Kinsella said the girl went by herself to the Wynnum Central train
station where she called her mother's friend.

She then caught a train to Thornside station.

The crown is alleging the friend helped organise for Hay to collect the girl, who was
not found by police until December 1, when she was returned to her worried father.

Mr Kinsella said the girl still refuses to reveal where she spent the time after Hay
allegedly picked her up from the station.

The court was told the girl, who cannot be named, is currently missing again after
running away from home 12 days ago.

Hay today pleaded not guilty to one count of abducting a child under 16.

The court was told at the time of the alleged abduction the girl's parents had been
involved in a messy custody battle which resulted in the mother being banned from having
contact with her children for several months.

The girl's father today said the mother had made a number of unfounded allegations
about him, including sexual impropriety towards his daughter.

He told the court the mother was a fundamentalist Christian who had previously thrown
out her children's Christmas presents as she believed they were the devil's tools.

The father told the court he believed she had "programmed" her daughter's behaviour.

The trial continues.

AAP cf/pjo/it/jlw

KEYWORD: HAY

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