Anger spills over in Bundaberg at loss of little girl

Trinity Bates.

Last Saturday 8-year-old Trinity Bates was at her best friend Lily McCormack's house, laughing with other children celebrating the third birthday of Lily's little sister.

On Sunday night, "Trinny's" parents tucked her into bed about 9pm, as they prepared for the week ahead in their weatherboard Queensland home in palm-lined Walker St, Bundaberg.

Just before 6am on Monday the nightmare began. Trinny had vanished from her room. In Walker St lights came on as neighbours heard her father in the street, screaming that his daughter had been abducted.

Within hours police found her body, still in pyjamas, dumped in a stormwater drain about 100m from her home. Yesterday 19-year-old Allyn John Slater was escorted into the Bundaberg Magistrate's Court to face a charge of murdering her. Slater did not speak as magistrate Jennifer Batts declined a defence request for the court to be closed. He remained silent when he was remanded in custody until May 17.

Outside, an angry crowd of about 20 waited for Slater. The police had posted extra officers and appealed for people to let the law take its course, but onlookers hurled abuse as Slater was driven into the court precinct. One man yelled that he should be killed. A woman shouted: "Show your f***ing face, you gutless mug."

Fairfax reported that police were monitoring a Facebook site set up by an online vigilante group calling for Slater's death. They were investigating sexually explicit messages and pornographic images that were posted on a Facebook tribute page for Trinity.

Last night, mourners gathered at the Bundaberg City Centre Pavilion for a vigil. Trinity's family have travelled to Bundaberg from across Queensland.

At a media conference, her grandmother Kerry Hanlon talked of a little girl who loved makeup, butterflies and a new pink diamante guitar she was given for Christmas, but with a touch of the tomboy.

Trinity was a gangly kid, she said, all arms and legs and falling over her own feet. "She was just a beautiful little girl who loved life and loved her family. She loved to sing, she loved doing craft, she loved lipstick and bikes."