A 'birth keeper' who charged a pregnant woman $6,000 before the mum-to-be died in childbirth had a public meltdown when confronted by the Daily Mail about her alleged role in the tragedy.
asserted
mum → charge → tragedy
Mother-of-four Emily Lal may eventually have no choice but to explain the circumstances leading up to the death of her former client, wellness influencer Stacey Warnecke.
uncertain
Lal → have → client
But it was abundantly clear on Thursday that she isn't rushing to tell her side of the story.
asserted
she → rush → story
After refusing to answer the coroner's questions just days earlier, she lost it when the Mail approached her for comment at her home – even accusing us of putting her in danger.
Warnecke, 30, died in hospital on September 29, 2025, from complications of a postpartum haemorrhage, several hours after giving birth to her son Axel at home without medical assistance.
A phone call between Ms Warnecke and Lal was played in the Coroners Court of Victoria last Monday, in which the expectant mum spoke about Lal looking out for her during childbirth.
asserted
Lal → refuse → childbirth
That conversation could now see Ms Lal charged with perjury and other offences related to her role as a so-called 'birth keeper'.
uncertain
Lal → see → keeper
Counsel assisting the coroner, Rachel Ellyard, told the inquest the recording 'sharply contradicted' evidence Lal gave at an earlier hearing.
asserted
Lal → assist → hearing
The court heard Lal had been asked to return to the inquest and answer more questions, but she refused.
asserted
she → hear → questions
Emily Lal had a meltdown when approached by the Daily Mail on Thursday
On Thursday, the Daily Mail spotted Lal outside her Mill Park home, north of Melbourne, as her children played outside on the street.
asserted
children → have → street
Positioned down the road, freelance photographer Stephen Cook fired off several frames of Lal before she picked up her children and rushed them inside.
asserted
she → position → them
What followed was a bizarre and somewhat dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in which Lal had a postie call the police.
asserted
postie → follow → police
The Mail stands by its decision to approach Lal at her home given the public nature of the coronial inquest and the seriousness of the matter.
asserted
Mail → stand → matter
Lal herself is looking down the barrel of a 15-year jail stint if convicted of perjuring herself in the witness box at the inquest into Ms Warnecke's death.
asserted
Lal → look → death
Ms Ellyard had urged Coroner Therese McCarthy to refer Lal to the Director of Public Prosecutions over possible perjury and other offences.
asserted
Ellyard → urge → perjury
The Mail was unable to even approach Lal before she returned to her vehicle and sped off, leaving her young children inside the home.
asserted
she → approach → home
Her husband was observed leaving the address earlier in the day.
asserted
husband → observe → day
Lal is pictured outside the Coroner's Court of Victoria in June.
asserted
Lal → picture → June
She has been accused of lying to the coroner with her evidence
Lal proceeded to drive her red SUV up over the gutter onto the grass of a nearby park where she revved the engine towards the Mail's reporter, who was in his vehicle.
Moments later, she was on the move, driving her car in the direction of the journalist at speed before swerving and barrelling down the street.
Cook, a former editor of the New Zealand Herald, then followed Lal in the hope of explaining to her that he simply wished to discuss the unanswered questions stemming from the coronial inquest.
Within seconds, Cook had caught up and found Lal pulled into a side street, where she appeared to be waiting for him.
asserted
she → accuse → him
Lal then drove up behind his car, revving her engine and advancing closer.
asserted
Lal → drive → engine
'We often deal with angry people but this was pretty confronting,' Cook recounted.
asserted
Cook → deal → people
'All I was trying to do was give the woman a chance to have her say and defend herself against what have been some pretty serious allegations [at the inquest].
asserted
what → try → inquest
'She was clearly under stress and wanted absolutely no part of it.'
asserted
She → want → it
It is not suggested Lal was deliberately driving towards the cameraman.
uncertain
Lal → suggest → cameraman
Stacey Warnecke, 30, died in hospital after choosing a 'free birth' at home
Baby
asserted
Warnecke → die → home
Axel (pictured) survived the birth.
asserted
Axel → picture → birth
He is pictured with dad Nathan
To avoid the situation escalating further, Cook pulled over and approached Lal, but again she was having none of it.
asserted
she → picture → it
She waved down a postie, urging her to call the police.
asserted
She → wave → police
'I'm in danger,' Lal shrieked.
asserted
Lal → shriek → danger
I was,' Cook told the Mail.
asserted
Cook → tell → Mail
In the recorded conversation played to the coroner, Ms Warnecke told Lal she did not want tests and wanted to 'cruise along', with a home birth supported by her husband Nathan and, she hoped, Lal.
asserted
she → record → Lal
Ms Warnecke was seven weeks pregnant with her first child at the time and told Lal she was 'petrified to go to a hospital'.
asserted
she → tell → hospital
Unlike midwives, a regulated profession, 'birth keepers' are not clinically trained.
asserted
keepers → train → midwives
Lal has been accused of perjury and faces possible charges
'I envision having, like, that wise woman, I look at you in the eyes and like, "Am I okay?"'
asserted
I → accuse → eyes
Ms Warnecke told Lal in the 30-minute phone call on January 31, 2025.
asserted
Warnecke → tell → January
Like, "Am I dying or am I right?"
asserted
I → die → ?
Lal had told the inquest she was a supportive friend rather than a source of medical guidance.
asserted
she → tell → guidance
Ms Ellyard said the recording showed otherwise, with Lal providing specific guidance, including about medical matters.
asserted
Lal → say → matters
The inquest heard Lal saw one of her underlying roles as to 'strengthen and fortify a woman's reason for birthing at home, so that she wouldn't change her mind, however tough things got'.
asserted
things → hear → mind
'I use these words advisedly,' Ms Ellyard said.
'
asserted
Ellyard → use → words
Your honour might take the view that Ms Lal saw her role as to groom her clients into being strong enough to resist the temptation to seek medical help during labour, to seek pain relief during labour, to go to hospital during labour.
uncertain
Lal → take → labour
Ms Ellyard said the recording showed Lal regarded a hospital transfer as 'a failure of someone who hadn't done the work', and that Lal claimed she could tell a woman who was properly worried about her baby from one who was 'just having a hard time'.
uncertain
who → say → time
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
