THE GOLD Coast mother who was allegedly beaten by her ex-partner in a shocking road-rage incident has died.
Tara Brown’s life support system was turned off last night. She is believed to have passed away not long after,
The tragic news comes as it has been revealed that Ms Brown asked police a week ago to help her leave her former partner.
She walked into Southport police station last Thursday but was told to seek help elsewhere. On Tuesday the former partner, Lionel Patea, allegedly rammed her car off the road, and while she was still trapped in the wreckage beat her mercilessly with a piece of steel until she was unrecognisable.
Patea, a former Bandido sergeant-at-arms, is believed to have followed her from outside a childcare centre.
He was yesterday charged with attempted murder. But those charges are expected to be upgraded to murder following her death.
Last night police revealed the advice given to Ms Brown at Southport police station was under investigation.
“The appropriateness of the police response ... has been reported to the Queensland Police Service Ethical Standards Command and is currently being investigated by a senior officer,” the official statement said.
Ms Brown had gone to the police station with friends last Thursday and showed them text messages on her mobile phone.
But the police had no advice to offer, a friend said.
“There was nothing they (the police) could do about it,” the friend said.
Another friend described the young Coast mother as a strong and intelligent woman who had wanted to end her relationship with her childhood sweetheart. “This (break-up) was a long time coming,” the woman friend said. “She was a very intelligent, very smart girl.”
Police said relatives and friends of Ms Brown, 24, had started flying in from New Zealand yesterday to be by her bedside. It is unknown who was with her when she passed away last night.
Patea had to be admitted to hospital after he handed himself into police on Tuesday morning with severe puncture wounds to his chest and neck. It is believed they were self-inflicted.
Earlier in the day Patea allegedly followed his former partner after she dropped off their daughter at childcare in Nerang. It is believed a physical altercation occurred at a set of traffic lights.
At about 8.45am, Patea allegedly used his four-wheel-drive Jeep to run the mother of his child off the road in Molendinar.