SHOCK COURT CASE: Aunt is charged with the death of her niece

A 35-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of her baby niece, who she started looking after, following the death of her twin sister.  

Sandra Leigh Houston, 35, appeared in Beenleigh Magistrate's Court , nearly a month after her four-month-old niece died.

The baby arrived at Logan Hospital with life-threatening injuries last month and died after being transferred to Queensland Children's Hospital in a critical condition.  

Houston's lawyer, Robert Burns, said his client had taken the baby in after her twin sister died. 

He added that she was 'fairly distraught' over the baby's death, but had 'good grounds' for bail. 

'She is fortunate that she does have plenty of family support, her husband and the parents and the rest of her family are very supportive of her,' he said. 

It's not known how the baby died as the court is awaiting vital information for the police. 

Social media posts for both twins reveal they were devoutly religious, and shared a close bond.   

The pair also shared a sense of fashion, with pictures showing the sisters wearing the same outfits with different hairstyles, and sporting similar tattoos. 

The lawyer was also unable to comment in any detail on what police were alleging had happened to four-month-old baby, but admitted there was an 'untimely death of the child'.