Leeanne Chrysilla Eatts lodges appeal after being found guilty of manslaughter for her two sons

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains images of people who have died.

A Townsville mum found guilty of the manslaughter of her two young sons who drowned in a river while unsupervised is appealing her convictions.

Leeanne Chrysilla Eatts was sentenced in September 2023 after a jury found she had been responsible for the deaths of her sons Barak Brian Austral, 5, and Jhulio Maximus Arturo Sariago, 3, in 2019.

The bodies of the two boys were found in the Ross River in Townsville hours after they’d wandered off from their backyard on February 25, 2019.

The jury had found Eatts guilty for failing to supervise her children adequately rather than any action she had taken to cause their deaths.

She was later sentenced to eight years’ jail, with a parole eligibility date of December 16, 2026, having served 363 days in pre-sentence custody that was declared as time served.

Appearing via video link from the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre dressed in her blue prison uniform, Eatts’ appeal was listed for review in the Queensland Court of Appeal on Monday.

The court was told Eatts had applied for an external review after her legal aid application to be funded to appeal her convictions was originally rejected.

Court of Appeal president Debra Mullins told Eatts that the court had received confirmation the external review had upheld the original decision and Legal Aid Queensland would not be funding her appeal.

“You don’t have legal aid, you won’t have legal representation,” Ms Mullins said.

Upon learning this, Eatts replied: “No, I’m so tired.”

Ms Mullins said Eatts could apply through the registrar to the Queensland Bar Association to see if any barrister would take on her appeal case on a “pro bono basis”.

Eatts told the court she’d “like to see what the registrar will do”.

“It’s worth a try,” she said.

Ms Mullins said the option would only be available to Eatts if “there’s something to argue” and it would be up to the association to determine whether a barrister would act on a pro bono basis.

“They might not take it on so you must understand that,” Ms Mullins said.

Eatts confirmed she understood the possible rejection before going onto explain she had no other option due to not being able to afford legal representation.

“My family has looked around everywhere and we’re all getting so tired,” Eatts said.

The review was adjourned to allow Eatts to confirm if a barrister would take on her case pro bono.