The mother of NRL star Payne Haas has been sent to a women’s jail after it was found she allegedly broke her parole by evading police in the lead up to a horror crash that killed three people.
Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua, 46, was jailed in the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre on Wednesday after she was spotted limping from a police van into the Southport watch house.
The Brisbane Broncos forward’s mother was hospitalised last Friday after allegedly veering onto the wrong side of the road in a black Mercedes and crashing into a white Mercedes while fleeing police in the Gold Coast hinterlands town of Bonogin.
She was pulled from the burning wreckage and was rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital with extensive external injuries and a bruised rib.
Police charged Taufua with three counts of manslaughter and one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police and driving without a driver’s licence.
Retired doctor Chris Fawcett, 79, his partner Susan Zimmer, 70, and her daughter Steffanie, 35, were all killed in the collision.
Uiatu ‘Joan’ Taufua (centre) was jailed on Wednesday after it was found her alleged involvement in a car crash that killed three on Friday breached the conditions of her parole
Police allege Taufua veered into the wrong lane in Bonogin and collided with a car carrying three (pictured, the aftermath of the crash)
Taufua was pulled from her burning vehicle (above) while retired doctor Chris Fawcett, 79, his partner Susan Zimmer, 70, and her daughter Steffanie, 35, died at the scene
Taufua’s high-profile lawyer Leigh Johnson was expected to submit a bail application in a hearing next week but Taufua was found on Wednesday to have allegedly broken the conditions of her parole from prior offences, Courier Mail reports.
The mother pleaded guilty to assaulting two security guards at the Star Casino in September and was sentenced to nine months in jail.
She was granted parole after serving a month behind bars.
On Tuesday afternoon she was seen leaving a police van and entering a watch house while wearing her hospital wristband, a cast and compression socks.
Susan Zimmer, 70, and her daughter Steffanie, 35, (pictured together above) were killed in Friday’s tragic crash
Retired doctor Chris Fawcett, 79, (above) was killed after Taufua allegedly veered into the wrong lane
Police laid three charges of manslaughter against Taufua on Monday for her alleged involvement in Friday’s crash (pictured, tributes left at the scene of the crash)
Footage showed her limping into custody while wearing a baggy T-shirt with the print ‘the world is yours’.
Meanwhile, her son Payne Haas has been granted leave from NRL training to support his family.
Daily Mail Australia makes no suggestion he was involved in the crash.
Queensland Police said they’ve been able to ‘paint a picture’ of how the crash allegedly unfolded through CCTV and eyewitness accounts.
It will be alleged Taufua was driving dangerously at a high speed in the ‘preceding 10 minutes of the crash’ before she allegedly veered onto the wrong side of the road.
Officers had turned on their lights and sirens in the minutes before Taufua crashed but did not begin a pursuit due to public safety concerns.
Broncos player Payne Haas (pictured with Leilani Mohenoa) has been granted leave from NRL training to support his family
Taufua was moved to the Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre (above) on Wednesday after it was found she allegedly breached her parole
Police allege Taufua was driving her black Mercedes (above) in a ‘dangerous manner on the wrong side of the road at high speed’
‘Police are alleging (Taufua’s) vehicle was driven in an extremely dangerous manner on the wrong side of the road at high speed,’ Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Procter told reporters on Monday.
‘Police activated lights and sirens and when she accelerated and police followed procedure and pulled over.’
Det Sen Sgt Procter said officers were advised Taufua’s car had been involved in a crash 1km further up the road one minute later.
‘We have seized a lot of CCTV and painted a picture of what happened,’ he said.
It is understood Taufua’s licence was suspended at the time of the incident.
Witnesses and anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage of the crash or moments leading up to it are being urged to come forward.