In short:
A woman whose former partner murdered her two-year-old child has told the NSW Supreme Court she will never forgive him.
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she → murder → him
A jury found the 40-year-old man guilty of murder in July.
What's next?
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What → find → July
The sentencing hearing will resume on December 2.
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hearing → resume → December
A woman whose former partner murdered her two-year-old child on the NSW Mid North Coast has told a court she will never forgive his killer.
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she → murder → killer
Warning: This story contains details of child abuse that some readers might find distressing.
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readers → contain → abuse
Members of the child's family gave victim impact statements during a sentencing hearing in the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney today.
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Members → give → Sydney
A 40-year-man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of the boy's murder by a jury after a four-week trial earlier this year.
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who → name → trial
At the time of the baby's death in 2022, the man was in a relationship and living with the child's mother.
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man → live → mother
Today, the woman said meeting the offender was the biggest mistake of her life.
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meeting → say → life
"He changed my life in ways that can never be undone.
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that → change → ways
I'll never forgive him," she said.
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she → forgive → him
"He absolutely destroyed my life and there is simply no forgiving that.
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He → destroy → that
Catastrophic brain injury
The man was charged after a coronial inquest into the child's death in September 2024 found there was enough evidence to suggest he may have been involved.
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he → charge → September
During the trial, the jury heard that on the morning of May 23, 2022, the toddler's mother found the child unresponsive when she tried to wake him.
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she → hear → him
The two-year-old boy was flown from Coffs Harbour to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital, where he died of a catastrophic brain injury two days later.
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he → fly → injury
An autopsy revealed the two-year-old had a fractured pelvis and rib, and bruising on his body.
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old → reveal → body
The jury heard evidence that the offender would discipline the child by locking him in a dark garage with the lights off or by taking away his mattress and pillow.
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offender → hear → mattress
On the afternoon before his death, the court heard the toddler's mother saw him fall downstairs outside their home.
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him → hear → home
Family speak
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Family → speak → ?
During today's sentencing hearing, the child's father told the court about the devastating impact of losing his son.
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father → tell → son
"My whole life started a downward spiral when my son was murdered," he said.
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he → start → spiral
"My enjoyment of life has been sucked out of my soul."
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enjoyment → suck → soul
A statement was read in court on behalf of the boy’s older brother, who said he was angry "he isn't here anymore".
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he → read → brother
"I miss playing cars with him," the statement said.
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statement → miss → him
"I have all of his toys in my room but it's not really fun to play with them myself."
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it → have → them
The toddler's mother told the court she hoped to find closure after her son's killer is sentenced.
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killer → tell → closure
"These are questions I ask myself daily and will spend the rest of my years trying to make sense [of]," she said.
"
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she → ask → sense
He will never tell, so we will never know.
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we → tell → ?
We will have to carry that burden forever."
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We → have → burden
Defence barrister David Price told the court that he planned to subpoena medical documents and have the offender's diagnosis of multiple sclerosis included in sentencing considerations.
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diagnosis → tell → considerations
Justice Phillip Boulten said the documents should have been produced during the trial.
"Leaving it until after proceedings and after being convicted of murder is unsatisfactory," he said.
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he → say → murder
"Your client is looking at a very extended time in prison."
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client → look → prison
The sentencing hearing will continue on December 2.
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hearing → continue → December
The Aporia