Phone records show $6,000 fee contradicts birthkeeper's friend claim

A Victorian coroner has heard that forensic analysis of a deceased mother's phone may lead to a perjury referral against the birthkeeper who attended her home delivery. Stacey Warnecke died in September 2025 at Frankston hospital after suffering a postpartum haemorrhage. Her family alleges she paid Emily Lal $6,000 for support throughout her pregnancy, a detail that clashes with Lal's earlier testimony that the relationship was primarily friendly.

Coroner Therese McCarthy paused the inquest in June while Warnecke's phone was examined. Counsel assisting the coroner, Rachel Ellyard, presented the findings on Monday. The analysis uncovered a WhatsApp group chat managed by Lal for women planning freebirths, along with audio of a direct call between Lal and Warnecke. Ellyard argued this digital record directly contradicts the evidence Lal gave in June.

Lal had told the court she acted as a supportive friend and that the payment covered her time, not medical advice. The court heard a recording in which Warnecke expressed fear of hospitals. Lal responded, "You should be scared of the hospital," describing it as a terrifying place that required a solid mindset to avoid. Lal also suggested that midwives sometimes advise hospital transfer simply because they are exhausted during long labors.

Ellyard stated that Lal's actions were much more structured than those of a friend. She noted that Lal provided referrals and sold supplements, challenging Lal's claim that she gave no medical advice. Ellyard added that Warnecke's husband, Nathan, was reassured into a passive support role. Lal declined an invitation to provide further evidence after the phone analysis was completed. She had originally testified under a certificate of protection, which limits the use of her evidence in future legal proceedings.

The court previously established that Lal asked Warnecke three times if she wanted an ambulance after Warnecke lost up to 1.5 litres of blood and struggled to breathe. Warnecke agreed on the third attempt but was seriously ill by the time paramedics arrived. She died in hospital after its blood supply was exhausted. Lal maintained that it was not her role to call an ambulance against a client's wishes, even if the client was unconscious.

Ellyard told the coroner that Warnecke would likely have survived in a hospital setting, where postpartum haemorrhage is a common and treatable complication. She noted that Warnecke would also have survived a home birth attended by a registered midwife. The coroner will deliver her final findings at a later date.