A man accused of fatally stabbing his wife and their infant daughter allegedly confessed to a psychiatrist months prior that he wanted to kill his family, a court heard during a committal hearing.
Matthew James Cox, 34, has been ordered to stand trial for the alleged murders of Tayla Black and their 11-week-old daughter, Murphy Margaret, at their Rockhampton home in Central Queensland in August 2023. Following the alleged killings, Cox reportedly flew to Brisbane and stayed for two nights before surrendering to police.
The two-day hearing in Rockhampton Magistrates Court presented details of Cox's deteriorating mental state in the years leading up to the alleged crimes. His parents and siblings testified via videolink about his struggles with mental health, which they linked to the COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria, where Cox and Black had previously resided before moving to Queensland.
In September 2022, Cox was admitted to a psychiatric ward in Rockhampton. It was during this admission that he allegedly told a psychiatrist of his desire to kill his family. Cox later told his father, Denis, that this was merely a "cry for help" and that he had no intention of carrying out such acts.
Cox's mother, Linda Lind, recalled observing a decline in her son's mood between April and July 2023, the months immediately preceding the alleged murders. By July, her son appeared "withdrawn," a state she attributed to the exhaustion of caring for a newborn.
Court documents also revealed a cryptic text message Cox sent to family members in a group chat on August 10, two days after the alleged murders. While the specific contents were not disclosed, family members described the message as uncharacteristic and "quite concerning as a father."
Testimony was also provided by staff at the Rockhampton Leagues Club, where Cox had interactions on the day of the alleged killings. A receptionist, Graham Lesley Randalls, recalled noticing blood on Cox's driver's license as he signed in. He also observed a fresh cut on Cox's hand, providing him with a Band-Aid. Randalls described Cox as appearing nervous and tense, eager to complete the sign-in process and leave.
Cox, who remains in custody, did not enter a plea or comment on the evidence presented during the hearing. He has been committed to stand trial in the Rockhampton Supreme Court at a later date.