Malachi Subecz Inquest: Daycare Says No 'Alarm Bells' Before His Death

By Isaac Davison, Senior Reporter · 17 July 2025

The inquest into the death of five-year-old Malachi Subecz has revealed that the daycare centre he attended in Tauranga did not see any red flags before his tragic murder in 2021. Jasmine Cotter, Malachi’s mother, was jailed for drug importation and handed over his care to her friend, Michaela Barriball, who later murdered him at her home in Te Puna.

The manager of Abbey’s Place Childcare Centre, who has name suppression, said during the inquest that her initial impressions of Barriball were positive. Malachi was always well-dressed, brought in good lunches, and was reportedly happy to see her. However, when Malachi’s cousin Megan Cotter raised concerns about his care arrangements, the centre did not act on the call because Megan was not listed as a family contact. Instead, they referred her to Oranga Tamariki, the child protection agency.

The daycare manager later admitted that this call should have been recorded and that the centre failed to investigate further. In September 2021, staff noticed bruises on Malachi’s body and called Barriball, who claimed he had fallen off his bike. The manager said this explanation “added up,” and no suspicion of abuse was raised at the time.

Starship Hospital paediatrician Dr. Patrick Kelly, who examined the photographs taken by daycare staff, expressed concerns about the nature of the injuries and stated that a fall from a bicycle would not be a credible explanation. However, the daycare manager argued that bruises were common among children and that staff were not trained to identify signs of abuse.

The daycare centre was ordered to close in 2022 after failing to meet licensing conditions, and the manager faced two complaints from the Teaching Council, which were not upheld. She described the experience as emotionally devastating, with one complaint blaming her directly for Malachi’s death.

Lawyers for Megan Cotter questioned the daycare’s response to the accumulated risk factors in Malachi’s case, including his mother’s imprisonment, the lack of family support, and his inconsistent attendance. The manager said she was not informed by any government agency about Malachi’s living situation and that child protection training did not flag these as risk factors.

During the inquest, the daycare manager called for improved child protection policies, better staff training, and more effective information-sharing between agencies. She emphasized that “it takes a village to raise a kid” and that the same principle should apply to protecting children from harm.

Michaela Barriball, who is serving a life sentence for Malachi’s murder, had previously appeared to be a “sensitive parent” to the daycare staff, according to the centre. However, the tragic events that followed have raised serious questions about the adequacy of child protection systems and the responsibilities of childcare providers.

The inquest continues as the court seeks to understand the full context of Malachi’s death and the systems that failed to protect him.