A mother lost her daughter in a horrific drowning. She never could have expected the cruel act from another parent just days later

A woman has been given a two-year suspended sentence after signing a mother and her deceased daughter up for swimming lessons just two days after the toddler drowned.

Alana Jade Osborne, 29, faced the Pine Rivers Magistrate Court, north Brisbaneon Friday, where she pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful stalking, intimidation, intimidation or abuse against Central Queensland mother Tahlia Kay Murphy.

The court heard Ms Murphy’s 17-month-old daughter, Taidyn ‘Totty’ Murphy, drowned in a hot tub at the family’s home in Gracemere, south of Rockhampton, while Ms Murphy was at work in September 2022.

Mrs. Murphy lost her job the same day. She is not accused of any wrongdoing in her daughter’s death.

The toddler’s tragic death triggered a year-long barrage of ‘mental torture’ for Ms Murphy, who was targeted by Osborne and co-accused Jessie Ella Ayling.

Tahlia Kay Murphy (pictured with Taidyn ‘Totty’ Murphy) suffered ‘mental torture’ for more than a year after the death of her toddler

Taidyn ‘Totty’ Murphy (pictured) drowned in a hot tub at the Gracemere family home, south of Rockhampton

The court heard that between August 12, 2022 and December 7, 2023, the pair created a number of social media accounts to ‘mockery Taidyn’s death’. Courier mail reported.

On one occasion, just two days after the drowning, Osborne enrolled Mrs. Murphy and Taidyn in a swimming school.

Mrs Murphy was left very upset after the school subsequently contacted her to arrange lessons.

Osborne and Ayling used their series of online profiles to share content and comments about little Taidyn’s drowning, including on Facebook and TikTok.

The contents further disturbed Ms Murphy as it could be seen by grieving family members, including her older, then 12-year-old daughter.

However, the court found the harassment was not just limited to social media, with the pair emailing Ms Murphy’s boss demanding she be fired and Osborne at one point sending pizza deliveries to the family’s home.

Magistrate Annette Hennessey recalled Ms Murphy’s emotional victim impact statement, which detailed her struggle to come to terms with the death of her young daughter amid the co-accused’s attack.

“She said that the intimidation and torment caused by you and the co-accused, during one of the most stressful and heartbreaking times of her life, left her feeling angry, angry and stressed and that she contemplated suicide on several occasions,” Magistrate said Hennessey.

“She says she felt betrayed and stressed by both the content of the messages and the messages you and the co-accused sent online.

“When she was in the midst of her grief and subsequently tormented online, she was unable to think or concentrate on organizing her daughter’s funeral because of your actions.

“She had an older daughter at the time, who was 12, and she refers to the fact that you also contacted the daughter with disturbing content.”

Alana Jade Osborne and Jessie Ella Ayling harassed Ms Murphy (pictured with Taidyn), including once when Osborne signed the pair up for swimming lessons just two days after the toddler’s death

Police prosecutor Mr Shiyaad described Osborne and Ayling’s actions as ‘evil and depraved’.

“It is inexcusable that the defendant and co-defendant would ridicule this death and harass the grieving victim,” he said.

“The method the defendants used to commit this act of mental torture was complex and brutal.

“It is further aggravating that these (two women) have contacted not only the injured party but also her support systems, namely her family and her friends.

“These were cold, calculated and premeditated acts.”

Mrs Murphy had a complicated relationship with both Osborne and Ayling.

She described Osborne as her best friend between 2017 and 2021, with Ms Murphy opening her home to her for four to five months in 2020 as Osborne recovered from an amphetamine addiction.

Osborne’s lawyer, Andrew Ferrett, said the couple had known each other since 2012 but became particularly close from 2016 as they had children around the same time.

However, Osborne began to feel resentment toward Mrs. Murphy for not being able to empathize with her addiction struggles.

“She (Osborne) managed to come off the amphetamine and moved to Rockhampton for a period of time to stay with the victim,” the court heard.

‘Their relationship became somewhat disturbed during this period as my client felt that the victim at the time was quite insensitive to her plight with amphetamine addiction.

“She felt the victim might be condescending to her and insensitive to her predicament.”

Osborne and Ayling are said to post content and comments online about Taidyn’s death (pictured)

After leaving Mrs Murphy’s home, Osborne moved to Brisbane.

Mrs Murphy suspected her husband was having an affair with Jessie Ayling in the city and asked Osborne to investigate their relationship.

It is understood Mr Murphy was in a relationship with Ayling during a brief separation from Ms Murphy in 2022.

“My client subsequently came into contact with the co-accused while she was in a relationship with the victim’s partner and ironically became close to the co-accused (Ayling),” Mr Ferrett said.

‘She did develop difficulties with the victim and this was exacerbated by the bitter relationship between Jessie (Ayling) and the victim Tahlia, due to Tahlia’s partner Cecil having a relationship with Jessie.’

Several factors of Osborne’s life and upbringing were heard by the court, including the fact that she was largely raised by a controlling mother, with whom she had a ‘difficult’ relationship.

That strained relationship caused Osborne to experience periodic homelessness throughout her childhood, among other problems.

The court also heard Osborne was caring for four children, including a nine-year-old boy whose parents were in prison.

She currently works as a shop assistant and petrol station assistant but is pursuing a Certificate III in Pathology.

Osborne is being considered for the position of Indigenous Liaison Officer at Metro North Health and hopes to have a career in medical science.

Ms Murphy said she could not properly grieve Taidyn (pictured) because of the relentless harassment

Mr and Mrs Murphy have both already been convicted of a revenge attack on Ayling and Osborne, with the help of a third party, on November 30, 2022 in Taigum.

On February 26, 2024, they received a fully suspended sentence of 2.5 years for bombing Osborne’s car.

Ayling was sentenced at Ipswich Magistrates Court on May 17 to 12 months’ probation for using a carriage service to threaten, harass or offend and breaching bail conditions.

Osborne was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with two years fully suspended.

Magistrate Hennessey also imposed a five-year restraining order on Osborne not to contact Ms Murphy.

Her conviction was recorded.