WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
A first-time mum heard voices telling her she was “broken” and so was her baby when she laid her three-month-old girl on tracks ahead of an oncoming train in suburban Melbourne.
The train struck Melissa Arbuckle and her three-month-old baby Lily near Upwey station on July 11, 2021.
While the 32-year-old former veterinarian survived, her baby died that evening at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
She pleaded guilty to infanticide and was sentenced to a three-year good behaviour bond in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday.
Leading up to the shocking tragedy the young mother’s mood dropped, she became anxious, heard voices and suffered from delusions, the court was told.
She falsely believed she’d injured her baby when she rocked Lily’s bassinet too vigorously and was concerned the girl was dehydrated.
“You felt a voice or another ‘you’, was telling xjmtzywyou were a bad mother and that Lily would never love you,” Justice Jane Dixon said.
Arbuckle heard “commanding” voices telling her to take her own life and that she was not good enough.
“You had thoughts that Lily was broken and that Lily could see that you were broken,” Justice Dixon said.
But Arbuckle was only diagnosed with post-partum psychosis and severe major post-partum depression the day after the crash despite maternal health notes showing she had difficulty coping and felt “out of control” in May.
The day she went to the train tracks Arbuckle spent time with family members before going for a stroll around 4.20pm.
“Muffin was losing it after feed so I’ve gone for a walk with her,” she sent in a text to her husband before the walk.
Moments into walk the first-time mum searched the internet for information about trains including timetables, speed and derailments.
About 5.02pm Arbuckle was seen holding her baby and used the little girl’s arm to wave at the train as it passed.
Minutes later she laid her daughter on the tracks and tried to lay down herself when the train hit them both.
In a heartbreaking detail the driver – who managed to hit the emergency brakes – closed his eyes when he realised the crash was imminent.
Passers-by rushed to the scene to help and when emergency services arrived Arbuckle tried to self-harm.
The woman’s estranged husband – who asked to remain anonymous – went into shock when he learned of the tragedy.
“It is hard to describe just how painful that was. My dear little girl was gone,” he said.
“She deserved so much more. I was stuck with this feeling of helplessness.”
He gave Lily a final kiss on the forehead as she lay motionless in hospital and seeing her there broke his heart.
The worst thing that could possibly happen had already happened to him and he struggled with his emotions towards his former partner, he told the court.
Arbuckle did not plan to have any more children in the future out of fear she would once again slip into psychosis and had strong prospects for rehabilitation, the court was told.
Infanticide applies to women who kill their children, if they are under the age of two, in instances where the mother has mental health issues related to childbirth.
Arbuckle must continue her mental health treatment as part of her good behaviour order.
Mental health support
