In short:
A woman charged over a fatal house fire that killed two young children has been released on bail for a second time after breaching earlier conditions. The case is continuing, with revised bail restrictions imposed and the matter set to return to court next month.
Bail Reissued Despite Earlier Breach
Shania Lee, 27, has been released on bail for a second time after appearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, despite breaching earlier bail conditions and failing to attend court last week.
Lee is accused of leaving her three children — all under five — alone inside a home in Sydenham in September 2024, minutes before a fire broke out. Two girls, aged one and five, died at the scene. A three-year-old boy survived with injuries.
Police allege CCTV footage shows Lee leaving the property about two minutes before a smoke alarm sounded, with audio later capturing her children screaming inside the house. She faces two counts of negligent manslaughter and one count of negligently causing serious injury.
After failing to appear at a brief hearing last week, a warrant was issued and police searched for five days before Lee handed herself in on Tuesday night. Prosecutors opposed her release, arguing she breached bail by not living at her approved address in Moama and by ceasing to report to police in Echuca late last year.
The court was told Lee had been staying at various locations across Melbourne’s west, including Tarneit, rather than at her nominated bail address. Prosecutors argued this, combined with her failure to report, raised concerns about her compliance with bail conditions.
Lee’s lawyer said she was experiencing significant emotional distress late last year and argued delays in the case — including the absence of a fire expert’s report — would unfairly affect her if she remained in custody.
Magistrate Olivia Trumble found revised bail conditions, including therapeutic treatment, a curfew and relocation to Melbourne, would mitigate community risk. Lee was released on Wednesday afternoon under conditions that she live in Altona, report to police three times a week and comply with a 10pm to 6am curfew.
She will return to court on February 24.
Proceedings against Lee’s former partner, Matthew McAuliffe, who had also been charged in relation to the fire, were discontinued after he died while on bail in October.
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