Gold Coast Mother Bashed in Car by Ex Has Died

A 24-year-old Gold Coast mother has died in hospital overnight after a sickening domestic violence attack by her former partner.

On Tuesday, Tara Brown was victim to a shocking display of violence when Lionel Patea, 24, allegedly rammed her car down an embankment before beating her face with a piece of steel while she was trapped in the wreckage.

Ms Brown, who was described as “unrecognisable” from her injuries, was on life support in the Gold Coast Hospital.

Last night friends and family had to say goodbye to a young mother of one, who they described as a strong and intelligent woman and devoted parent.

The level of callous violence the man; a one-time bikie, inflicted on the mother of his child is incomprehensible to even those who witness aggression daily.

“I have been a police officer for more than 30 years and this sort of thing still shocks me,” Detective Inspector Brian Swan told news.com.au

“At first police thought a paver or brick was used in the alleged attack on the woman but it was a cast iron metal plate that had come loose from a footpath hydrant,” he alleged.

Police believed the perpetrator had followed Ms Brown, who was living separately, after she dropped their daughter at a child care centre.

“It is understood that he was at the centre waiting for her,” Det Insp Swan said yesterday.

“It is believed there were a number of altercations between Nerang and Molendinar where the crash occurred, including a possible physical altercation at a set of traffic lights.

After allegedly running her off the road with his car, witnesses tried to stop him as they saw him repeatedly beating Ms Brown while she remained trapped.

Mr Patea has been charged for the offence while he remains in hospital with alleged self-inflicted knife wounds after police found him parked in a nearby his car park with a knife.

Today, the loved ones of Ms Brown are will be engulfed in heart-wrenching sorrow.

As a nation we will grieve too. A young woman’s life has been cut short in such a horrific way. This is enough.

Ms Brown knew something was wrong. She had visited the Southport police station with a friend last Thursday asking for help to leave her partner.

After showing police text messages on her phone, they had no advice to offer the young woman. An official statement released said the circumstances surrounding Ms Brown’s contact with police last week has been reported to the Queensland Police Service Ethical Standards Command for investigation by a senior officer.

It was a cry for help that fell on deaf ears. We need to wake up. Today is RUOK Day; a day where we can reach out to people and offer our support. It needs to go beyond a conversation for people who are living in dangerous or extreme conditions, such as Ms Brown.

One woman is killed every week as a result of intimate partner violence in Australia. As a community we need to protect people in these situations. 

If we believe a friend, family member or neighbour is living under these circumstances, we need to act. We must speak to police, people around us, anyone who will listen. We must not stop caring until somebody helps. We must prevent tragedies like this one.

The violence has to stop. This is enough.