New mum 'waved to train' before placing newborn baby on tracks to die
06.04.2022 - 11:41
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A new mum was suffering from a "significant disturbed mind" when she put her newborn daughter on train tracks, a court heard.
The driver of the train was forced to activate the emergency brakes and shut his eyes as he braced for impact.
Melissa Arbuckle, 32, appeared at Victoria's Supreme Court in Melbourne, Australia, on April 5 after pleading guilty to one count of infanticide, The Mirror reports.
Her lawyer told the court how Arbuckle had a "significantly disturbed mind" and had intended to take her own life too after killing little Lily.
On the day that Lily was placed on the tracks, Arbuckle messaged her now estranged husband to say that their child was "losing it after a feed".
She said she decided to take the baby for a walk to the tracks at Upwey in Melbourne's east, where a train driver used her daughter's hand to wave at the train, the prosecutor said.
The court heard that Arbuckle started looking for information online about trains, including speed, just moments into the walk.
Police alleged that a train driver spotted Arbuckle moving towards the tracks in a "suspicious" way.
The court heard how the driver activated the emergency brakes as the veterinarian placed Lily on the tracks and was trying to lay down herself.
The train driver told police he “closed his eyes” when he knew he was going to hit the pair.
When emergency services arrived, Arbuckle was trying to self-harm, the court was told.
Lily was rushed to hospital but died a short time later from traumatic head injuries.
The young mum had been described as "really down" in the weeks before the tragedy.
She believed she injured her baby because she rocked the bassinet too vigorously, the court was told.
Ms Megan Tittensor, Arbuckle's lawyer, said: "She had a