Young Gold Coast Mum S.h.o.t D.e.a.d in Her Home by Partner in Horrific Alleged Domestic Violence Attack – Neighbours Fought Desperately to Save Her
A heartbreaking tragedy has rocked the Gold Coast community after a 23-year-old mother was allegedly shot dead in her own home in a suspected domestic violence incident.
Mallorie Jane Roberts, a loving young mum to a two-year-old son named Tyson, was found with fatal gunshot wounds at a unit on Loder Street in Biggera Waters around 8pm on Sunday evening. Despite the frantic efforts of neighbours and first responders who rushed to the scene after hearing screams, Roberts was tragically declared dead at the scene.
Emergency services arrived to what police described as a “pretty confronting scene.” Neighbours reported hearing blood-curdling screams lasting several minutes before a single gunshot rang out. One resident, Bianca Davis, ran to the unit and desperately tried to apply pressure to Roberts’ wounds while another neighbour performed CPR, but it was too late. “She was just on the floor, lifeless,” Davis recalled, her voice filled with emotion.
Police arrested 23-year-old Ethan Midgley at the property without incident. He has been charged with one count of murder (domestic violence) and one count of unlawful possession of weapons used to commit an indictable offence (domestic violence). Authorities believe the firearm used in the alleged attack was a homemade, unregistered weapon seized from the home.
Detective Acting Inspector Leia Urquhart confirmed that police had previously attended the address, though no domestic violence order was currently in place. Roberts and Midgley were in a de facto relationship and living together at the time. Importantly, young Tyson was not at the home during the incident and was safely with family members.
Tributes have poured in for Roberts, remembered as a “beautiful young mum” with a radiant smile that could light up any room. A close family friend, Haylee Harris, who set up a GoFundMe to support funeral costs and the grieving family, described her as funny, kind-hearted, and utterly devoted to her little boy. “Her little son was her whole world,” Harris said. Roberts’ devastated mother also shared a gut-wrenching message online: “I love you, I want to hold you and not let you go, my beautiful sweetheart, my beautiful daughter.”
This shocking case has once again highlighted the devastating impact of domestic violence. Roberts becomes one of dozens of Australian women who have lost their lives to alleged intimate partner violence this year alone. Friends and community members are rallying around the family, emphasizing that no woman deserves such a fate and calling for greater awareness and support for those in unsafe relationships.
As the investigation continues, Midgley did not appear in person at his first court mention in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday and was remanded in custody, with the matter adjourned to July. Police have stressed there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Gold Coast community is left reeling from the loss of a young mother whose life was cut tragically short, leaving behind a toddler now without his mum. Heartfelt calls for justice and healing continue to grow as loved ones remember Roberts for her beautiful heart and the love she poured into those around her.
