In a bid to remember her mother, slain Queensland woman Tara Brown’s toddler daughter kisses a picture of her mum on her pillow every night before bed.
Tara’s own mother, Natalie Hinton has given a revealing interview to the Gold Coast Bulletin a year after her daughter’s death and in it she tells of how her four-year-old granddaughter, Aria is adjusting to life since losing her mum.
Ms Hinton says one of the touching ways the preschooler honours her mum is by keeping a cast of Tara’s hand – a keepsake made by the Gold Coast Hospital which treated the 24-year-old New Zealand-born woman just before she died.
“She has a great memory,” Ms Hinton told the Gold Coast Bulletin of her granddaughter, whom she now takes care of. “I thought that memories would have started to fade by now but they are so strong still.”
PHOTO: Tara Brown / Instagram.
Tara’s ex-boyfriend Lionel Patea, a former Bandido bikie, has been charged with her murder and is awaiting trial in a high-security male prison south of Brisbane.
Police allege the death occurred on September 8 last year after Mr Patea waited for Ms Brown outside a Nerang childcare centre where she had just dropped off the pair’s child.
Police allege the ex-bikie followed Tara, rammed her Mazda 2 off the road with his Jeep then, while the young mother was trapped inside the overturned car, he violently bludgeoned her head with a metal object.
After Mr Patea reportedly fled the scene Tara was pulled from the wreck and rushed to hospital but she died a day later.
PHOTO: Tara Brown / Instagram.
A day after Tara’s death, there was a sunset vigil at Macquarie St, Molendinar where the crash took place. As about 100 family and friends gathered to remember the murdered woman a rainbow appeared in the sky.
“I really believe in the spiritual side of things. I believe Tara is around a lot,” Ms Hinton told the Gold Coast Bulletin of the event.
“I know Aria can feel it. I know she doesn’t realise yet that that’s the connection.”
The Gold Coast grandmother says Aria loves rainbows. She even painted one around the cast of her mum’s hand.
