A south-east Queensland woman accused of murdering her terminally ill husband by giving him a “cocktail” of medication to end his life has been committed to stand trial.
David Mobbs, 56, who had motor neurone disease, died at his Alexandra Hills home in December 2023.
More than a year later, his wife, Kylie Truswell-Mobbs, was arrested and charged with his murder.
The 51-year-old faced a committal hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today, where witnesses were called to give evidence about the events surrounding her husband’s death.
Ms Truswell-Mobbs and Mr Mobbs had been together for 20 years and her sons referred to him as their father.
Ms Truswell-Mobbs is accused of giving Mr Mobbs, who had motor neurone disease, a “cocktail” of medication to end his life. (Supplied)
Court hears Mr Mobbs confirmed wishes
Crown prosecutor Stephanie Gallagher told the court Mr Mobbs had an aggressive degenerative condition and in early December 2023 he was bedridden and unable to communicate “save for the use of a signing board or things like grunting”.
On December 5, 2023, the family had a meeting with a palliative care team at the home.
“There was an indication in the presence of some people there that the deceased wished to go on for at least a further week before he considered some end-of-life medication,” she said.
Ms Gallagher told the court that, following that meeting, Ms Truswell-Mobbs began to administer drugs “in order to bring about the end of his life”.
“Those were drugs that were not consistent with the voluntary assisted dying regime,” she said.
“There is an interview with the defendant where she admits to doing those acts, providing drugs … over a number of hours, to bring about the end of his life and she said that was in accordance with his wishes”.
The court heard son Rylee Relja confirmed Mr Mobbs’s wishes to be given the drugs. (Supplied)
One of Mr Mobbs’s stepsons, Rylee Relja, told the court their father had indicated “on more than one occasion” that he was tired and “wanted to be done”.
Asked by defence barrister Ruth O’Gorman if he understood that to mean he wanted to die and be free from the disease, Rylee agreed.
Rylee was also questioned about an incident in which his father lost control of his bowels later on December 5.
He had previously described it as a “trigger for Dad and Mum as I know Dad had made Mum promise that if this was to occur, then dad didn’t want to continue fighting”.
“Do you have a positive memory of your dad asking your mum to promise that if he ever got to the point where he was incontinent in that way, he wanted his life to be finished?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“Yes,” he said.
The court heard that, about 11pm on December 5, Rylee emerged from his bedroom and went out to get food.
Murder accused’s son claims father wanted to overdose, court documents reveal
He estimated he was gone for less than half an hour.
The court heard he had previously given a statement that when he returned home, his mum was waiting for him and told him that she had given his father a “cocktail”.
The court was told Rylee went over to speak to his father and asked him if this was what he wanted.
Pressed by Ms O’Gorman on what he meant, he added: “If he wanted to die”.
“You said in your statement he blinked at you twice and he said yes … did you have any doubt in your mind when you asked him … that he was saying yes? Were you 100 per cent sure he was saying yes?” she asked Rylee.
“Yes,” he responded.
“Then you said [you] asked him if he wanted [you] to call Jayden and dad grunted at me, which means no … did you ask him why he didn’t want Jayden there at that moment?” she said.
“I pulled out the letter [board] and spelled out why he didn’t want it and it was because Jayden would most likely try to stop it,” he replied.
Other stepson ‘wasn’t called’ before death
Earlier, the court heard his brother, Jayden Relja, said on December 5 that he wanted his father to “give it another week” before discussing starting palliative care.
However, later that day he witnessed his father soil himself and break down crying, telling him afterwards: “If you really can’t deal with it, I’m a big boy now. I can look after myself and look after my brother and my mum.”
The court heard Jayden told his father he would see him tomorrow.
By about 5am on December 6, Mr Mobbs was dead.
Jayden told the court he wasn’t contacted before his father’s death.
David Mobbs (right) was found dead in Alexandra Hills in 2023. (Supplied)
“I wasn’t called when all that happened … I feel like it’s kind of hard to say because it’s hypothetical, but if someone had just called me, as I have expressed to a lot of people, I probably wouldn’t be in this courtroom today,” he said.
“Do you think you wouldn’t be in the courtroom because the events that happened that night wouldn’t have happened, or because of some other reason?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“Depends,” he responded.
She went on to ask him if it was still possible that his father could have been given that medication to end his life, even if he had been there that night.
“Most likely,” he said.
“I’m happy he went as peacefully as he did.”
At the end of the hearing, the magistrate told Ms Truswell-Mobbs the evidence before the court was sufficient to put her on trial.
Asked if she wished to say anything, Ms O’Gorman said she was instructed on behalf of her client to say no.
She was ordered to stand trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on a date to be set.