"Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the death of a 42-year-old woman at a correctional facility in Ravenhall," police said in a statement. It was Ms Finch's first time in custody. Her lawyer, Brendan Wilkinson, said her death has had a significant impact on those who had rallied around to support Ms Finch in the past few months. "Everyone is devastated. There was a whole team of people behind her, and the psychiatric staff who did everything they could," he said. Joanne Finch, Lee Moran and their son Brodie. Mr Moran paid tribute to his son in March, saying "I love and miss my little fella".

"She had many people from the Volkswagon car club, people in Tootgarook and the Rosebud area and the Geelong area who were really doing everything, rallying behind her and working as one to make sure she could have a better life. "The only thing she lived for was her son, and when Brodie was gone it proved too much." The 42-year-old mother last appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court in June, where the court heard she was suffering from a severe depressive disorder at the time of the alleged offence. Mr Wilkinson said there would be an inquiry into how she died. "She's got family in England who will be devastated by this. They have been helping her in every way they could. It's heartbreaking for everyone involved, including doctors and legal people."

He said that several Tootgarook residents had approached him over the past few months, asking how they could support Ms Finch. "She was such a fun-loving and nice person at times, but other times it appeared she was down and out and couldn't see a way forward," he said. In June, Magistrate Donna Bakos said documents already filed indicated that most of the witnesses listed for the committal mention said Ms Finch had “never displayed anything untoward towards her son”. But Ms Bakos also said a neighbour “heard a young child that was screaming” on the day Brodie died. “These matters are extraordinarily distressing,” she said.

Lee Moran with his son Brodie. The court had previously heard Ms Finch called triple zero for help before her son’s body was found by police shortly after 1.30pm at their home on March 8. Ms Finch's former partner Lee Moran, who was living in China at the time of Brodie's death, said that the pair had separated in 2015 but he had "never stopped loving, caring and supporting" his son both emotionally and financially. In a tribute shared in March following the boy's death, Mr Moran said the two would have a weekly Facetime video chat session, when Brodie would share with great enthusiasm all that he had done that week. "At no point did I, or anyone around Brodie and Joanne, feel that he was in danger," Mr Moran said.

"My deepest regret is that I wasn’t there to prevent [his death]." Lifeline 131 114, lifeline.org.au beyondblue 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au