Mum shot dead in search for snake

9:20a.m. 26 April 2008

| Susan Searle

A mother of four has been accidentally shot dead by her husband after a search for a snake in a garage went tragically awry.

Leanne Margaret Sleba, five days shy of her 34th birthday, was pronounced dead by Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics who were first at the scene at the family's property on the Kingsthorpe-Haden Road on Thursday night.

Her father-in-law Rod Sleba yesterday broke down as he outlined the awful turn of events which occurred about 10pm.

Mrs Sleba and her husband Geoff had spotted the two-metre Eastern brown snake earlier in the night, but failed to find it.

Kingsthorpe couple Geoff and Leanne Sleba.

Fearing for their children's safety because they frequented the fridge in the garage, the couple returned later with the shotgun.

After an extensive search during which Mrs Sleba shifted the family car, Mr Sleba said they were about to give up.

"Leanne started to walk away and she was about three or four metres from him and Geoff heard hissing and he looked down to see the snake on his foot.

"He's either jumped, slipped..... and his finger hit the trigger and the gun went off.

"It hit Leanne," he broke down.

The couple was married for 13 years and has four children, Rodney 11, Gerard 9, Natalie 8, and Andrew 7.

"She was a good person, a very good person. Nobody did as much for her children as Leanne did for those four children. Her whole life was spent looking after her children.

"She was a wonderful friend to a lot of people and did a lot of work at the school," Mr Sleba said.

The devoted mother volunteered at the Sacred Heart School and was on the sidelines when the boys played rugby league for Highfields and rugby union for Souths.

Most week days, she was involved in some sports or school activity with her children. She was an active member of the Wilsonton Lions Club.

Toowoomba-born, Mrs Sleba attended Downlands College and worked at the several Westpac branches around the city.

The region's Lebanese community was in mourning yesterday.

"I've never been cut like this," Mr Sleba said. "We've had our share of troubles in the last couple of years, but this is the worst situation we've been in.

"We're a close family, we're a united family and please God that will pull us through," he said.

Mr Sleba said the three small children were okay, but the eldest fellow (Rodney) was "doing it a bit tough".

Husband Geoff was described as being very distraught.

Toowoomba District Police Inspector Brett Schafferius said police deemed that the firearm accidentally discharged. Scientific investigations were undertaken and a report was being prepared for the coroner.

"It's an absolute tragic situation that has involved the death of a woman, and our thoughts are with the deceased's family at this time," he said. - Toowoomba Chronicle

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