The West Australian coroner is conducting an examination on the death of two boys identified as Lochlan James Stevens, 2, and Malachi Isaac Stevens, 10 months old, who both died in the shower in November 7, 2008. The boys' mother, Miranda Hebble, was reportedly exhausted and woke up from 10 hours of sleep to find her sons dead in the shower's overflowing water.

Miranda Hebble was aged 22 when the tragic death of her sons happened. She was caring for the two boys in Perth while her husband at that time, Christopher Stevens, works on a "fly-in fly-out basis." However, the couple has separated since the incident happened.

Inquest counsel Kate Ellson declared that Miranda Hebble does not have any history of mental illness or dependency on drugs or alcohol. In her opening address, Kate Ellson revealed that Lochlan had smeared feces from his diaper on the floors, walls and Malachi's cot so their mum decided to give the boys a shower.

"She left to fetch something but passed out or fell asleep. When she woke up 10 hours later, she found Malachi floating in the shower on his side, with bruises on his cheek. Lochlan was lying on the bathroom floor with blood coming from his mouth and had a scratch on his forehead and a mark on his stomach," Ellson stated.

INQUEST: Miranda Hebble, whose two sons drowned in a shower at her Ellenbrook home in 2008, outside Perth Coroner's Court on April 30. Picture: Richard Polden

The mother called emergency services and stated: "I passed out and the plug in the shower got plugged up and the shower filled up and they're not breathing. They're dead.''

The post mortem examination was not able to reach a definitive conclusion but the reports indicated drowning is the possible cause of Malachi's death as well as with Lochlan plus his suffering from exhaustion, hunger and hypothermia.

Christopher Stevens stated on the court inquest on Tuesday, April 30, that his former partner was an anemic struggling with her sleeping habits. Miranda Hebble's parenting skills was also put in question when she left the 5-week-old Malachi inside the car last February 2008 while returning a DVD in the store.

Constable Daniel William Herbert O'Rourke testified that he responded to the incident. "The baby, then five weeks old, was hot, crying, sweaty and red in the face when he was pulled from the car," O'Rourke stated. Miranda Hebble told the police that she cannot carry the baby because she was exhausted.

According to Christopher Stevens, Miranda was a quiet anti-social person. "She likes being alone. She always has. If there's any form of conflict she wouldn't go near it," Stevens revealed. The devastated father told the reporters he wants an answer on how and why his sons died so he could move on.

"Give me an answer that I can actually use,'' Stevens stated. Though he has a wife and daughter now, Christopher Stevens admitted that he still misses his sons. The father described Lochlan as a "terror'' that can cause "chaos'' like most children at his age while Malachi had "iron lungs that could scream the house down."

The inquest on the case will still continue.

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