Uiatu “Joan” Taufua, the mother of National Rugby League (NRL) star Payne Haas, will pursue a mental health defence in relation to a triple-fatal traffic collision on the Gold Coast. the case, stemming from an incident in November 2023, was committed to stand trial after Taufua conceded a prima facie case existed.
The growth comes as Justice Wilson has suspended Taufua’s Supreme Court matter, pending assessment by the Mental Health Court. Christopher Fawcett, Susan Zimmer, and thier daughter stephanie were killed when their vehicle was allegedly struck by a car driven by Taufua, who failed to stop for police at the time of the crash.
Taufua was remanded in custody, with the case scheduled to return to the Supreme Court in February for an update on the Mental Health Court’s evaluation. In November 2024, she conceded she had a case to answer.
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