By NICHOLAS COMINO and KARLEIGH SMITH AT MOORE PARK BEACH FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
The father of the three-year-old girl allegedly murdered by her own mother on Monday evening has rushed home to be by his family’s side.
MMA fighter and mine worker Jai Ruane is now with his two other children, aged one and two, who were inside the family home at the time of the horrific tragedy.
Mother-of-three Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, was found near her dying daughter Sophia in the front yard of their home at Moore Park Beach, on the outskirts of Bundaberg, Central Queensland.
Emergency services desperately tried to revive the youngster but police said she had suffered multiple stab wounds and could not be saved.
Speaking to Nine News on Tuesday night, Mr Ruane described little Sophia as ‘the light of his life’.
‘Always smiling, always wanting to help,’ he said of Sophia.
‘Just full of life and love.
‘She just had a huge heart.’
Jai Ruane (pictured left with Sophia on her first birthday) is now with his two other children, aged one and two, who were inside the family home at the time of the horrific tragedy
A distressed man was seen on his hands and knees in despair as others comforted him in the wake of the tragedy
On Tuesday Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip said Mr Ruane lived at the residence, but had been away at work when the incident occurred.
He added that the dad had now returned and was with the two children, but was shattered by the alleged murder.
‘He is back in town and he is with the children at the moment, no doubt absolutely devastated,’ he said.
‘It was a horrific scene,’ he said.
‘It’s a terrible, terrible incident for everybody including the witnesses and neighbours, the emergency services, police and ambulance who attended and the investigators who are doing the ongoing investigation.
‘This is not something we ever want to attend and want our people to have to deal with.’
Acting Supt Inskip declined to confirm if the family was known to police or children’s services, adding that line of inquiry would form part of the investigation.
He said Flanigan’s mental health history will also now be looked into.
Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, (pictured) has been charged with one count of murder after she allegedly killed her three-year-old daughter Sophia in the front yard of her home
Emergency services rushed to Moore Park Beach, on the outskirts of Bundaberg, central Queensland, at 4.45pm on Monday following ‘multiple’ reports from concerned neighbours.
The toddler was found unresponsive with ‘multiple wounds’ at the Regency Road home and declared dead at the scene, police said.
A bladed weapon was also allegedly found at the location, said Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip.
Police arrested 32-year-old Lauren Ingrid Flanigan and on Tuesday charged her with murdering her daughter Sophia.
Acting Superintendent Inskip confirmed on Tuesday that emergency services were called to a home on Monday evening following several Triple-0 calls from concerned neighbours.
He revealed that Mr Ruane lives at the property, but was away at work when the incident occurred.
‘He is back in town and he is with the children at the moment. No doubt absolutely devastated,’ Acting Supt Inskip said.
‘It was a horrific scene,’ Acting Supt Inskip said.
Sophia, 3, (pictured) was found unresponsive at the Regency Road home and declared dead at the scene
‘It’s a terrible, terrible incident for everybody, including the witnesses and neighbours, the emergency services, police and ambulance who attended, and the investigators who are now conducting the ongoing investigation. ‘
This is not something we ever want to attend, nor want our people to have to deal with.’
When asked whether the family was previously known to police or child protection services, Acting Supt Inskip declined to comment, stating that this would be part of the ongoing inquiries.
He also confirmed that the mental health history of the alleged offender, Lauren Flanigan, will be closely examined as part of the investigation.
It’s understood Flanigan was a member of the Alive Church in Bundaberg and would often share posts about her faith to her social media accounts.
‘Faith. Family. Future. Fitness. Built for wealth. Wired for freedom. Digital Systems. Elite Strategy. No Excuses,’ her account profile reads.
In many of her posts, Flanigan wrote about ‘rising up’ and remembering ‘who you are’ as she battled against ‘the system’.
‘You are a WARRIOR OF LIGHT. Train like it’s war — because it is. God is calling His army out of hiding. This is kingdom rising,’ Flanigan’s most recent post read.
Police taped off the property and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the little girl’s death
‘We move. We build. We burn with holy fire. No more delays. No more compromise. Tag your generals. It’s time to RISE.’
In September last year, Flanigan shared pictures of Sophia in a pink princess dress to Instagram with the caption ‘my divine babies’.
In another post, the mother-of-two explained her life would be fulfilled by sharing time with her family and not by having a successful career.
‘I realised the most valuable thing I could create was time,’ Flanigan wrote.
‘Time to watch my babies grow. Time to breathe. Time to live. Time to love. We weren’t created to just work, pay bills, and survive the week.
A distressed man was seen on his hands and knees in despair as others comforted him in the wake of the tragedy ‘We were made to create memories together, lasting legacy, joy, freedom and smiles.
‘We were made to create memories together, lasting legacy, joy, freedom and smiles.
‘I have given my life to serve. I have a beautiful little family who remind me of love daily. A community that uplifts me, a church that grounds me.
‘Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are areas that still need refining. But I wake up every day with breath in my lungs and fire in my spirit.’
Flanigan was not required to appear in person at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Her legal representative made no application for bail and the case was adjourned to the Bundaberg court until July 21.
