Maraea Te Oke Mae Hunia and Jahley Poata: Couple accused of fatally neglecting baby wait 13 months until trial

A Collie couple accused of fatally neglecting their baby boy will have to wait for more than a year to have their day in court to fight their case. Maraea Te Oke Mae Hunia and Jahley Poata are accused of failing to provide appropriate care for their six-month-old baby — also named Jahley — who died in Perth Children’s Hospital on October 5, 2022. It’s alleged the couple had been told of their baby’s serious health conditions months before his death. They briefly faced WA Supreme Court on Monday morning charged with unlawfully killing another under circumstances as not to constitute murder. Justice Joseph McGrath on Monday listed the trial for 15 days in Perth between May 3 and May 21, 2027. The trial will also involve expert witnesses. Ms Hunia and Mr Poata briefly spent time in custody charged with failing to protect a child in their care from harm before securing bail. The charges were upgraded last December. The couple — who are represented by barristers Helen Prince and Justine Fisher — did not speaking to waiting media and will return to court later this year. Just three days before Jahley’s birth, Ms Hunia posted to social media she had become a “market partner” for the beauty range Monat. A social media post announcing her son’s birth also included the hashtags: #Protect #Love and #Care. And in the months between the child falling ill and her arrest, Ms Hunia posted clips of herself dancing to Beyonce, reciting Nicki Minaj lyrics and describing her life as #blessed.