Brisbane woman pleads guilty to attempted murder after father begged her to end his life
A Brisbane woman has admitted to smothering her father with a pillow after he pleaded with her to end his life.
Rebecca Louise Burden pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder over the 2020 incident at a Sandgate nursing home.
The Supreme Court heard Burden's father, who suffers dementia and an acquired brain injury, cried on his bed while telling his daughter: "Please just kill me, I don't want to be here anymore."
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Defence barristers argued the accused was acting out of "mercy" and not malice. Nine
The court heard Burden covered her father's face with a cushion and attempted to smother him for approximately 20-25 seconds before removing it when he kicked his legs in struggle.
Burden described the moment to Justice Soraya Ryan as a "lapse of judgement" and said she accepts full responsibility for her actions.
Defence barristers argued it was an act of "mercy", not malice, and the case against Burden was borne from her full admissions to police.
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