Rebecca Louise Burden visited her father at his aged care home, the first time after COVID restrictions ended and suffocated him with a pillow over his head.
Burden claims that her “lapse of judgement” occurred after her 68-year-old father urged her to “please just kill me” due to severe dementia and brain injury.
According to testimony given in front of a Brisbane court, Steven Burden’s now 47-year-old daughter immediately told a nurse what she had done after pressing a cushion against his face with all of her weight.
Mr. Burden lived, but when asked what had happened, he could not recall his daughter’s visit.
Police could only accuse Burden of trying to kill someone after hearing her version of events.
She cared for Mr. Burden for two years after he suffered a brain injury in a car accident.
After the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Mr. Burden was found on his bed on September 26, 2020, pleading with his daughter to free him, according to the reports.
Her father pleaded, “Please just kill me,” in response to her assertion that she wasn’t permitted to.
I no longer desire to be here.
The court heard that Burden caressed her father’s forehead until his eyes closed before covering his face with a chair cushion.
Burden held the cushion with her entire body weight before pausing when Mr. Burden’s legs stopped moving.
She told police that she wanted to end her father’s suffering as he was always so sad.
According to defense attorney Charlotte Smith, Burden, who has no criminal past, had “quite tragic” personal circumstances and experienced post-traumatic stress disorder.
Burden stated that she accepted full responsibility for her actions, felt genuine remorse for what transpired, and comprehended the severity of the charge.