A young woman accused of attempted murder by stabbing her grandmother has been granted bail after her solicitor offered multiple conditions and mental health monitoring upon her release.
Bella-Rose Currie Shields, 21, allegedly attacked her 63-year-old grandmother on May 17, 2023 in a home they shared in the town of Beaudesert, south of Brisbane.
Bella-Rose Currie Shields has applied for bail in Supreme Court.Credit: Dan Peled
Shields has been in custody for more than 16 months, including five months in a secure mental health ward, and on Tuesday applied for bail in Brisbane Supreme Court.
Justice Thomas Bradley handed down his decision on Wednesday and said the seriousness of the charge against Shields called for a large number of bail conditions.
“In my view, the risks associated with the applicant’s release on bail can be ameliorated to an acceptable level … she has demonstrated that her continued detention is not justified,” he said.
Shields’ solicitor Natalie Keys had previously told the judge her client’s mental health had improved while in custody.
“She’s certainly doing well. She’s obtained employment in the kitchen. It’s a position of trust using knives and that’s not done if there’s still a substantial risk,” Keys said.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer O’Brien said she opposed bail for Shields as she was an unacceptable risk of committing further offences or presenting a danger to the community, even after Keys offered further conditions for her release.
“The month before [the alleged offence] she barricaded herself in her room and expressed homicidal ideation while she had a large knife,” O’Brien said.
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