Severely disabled girl, 9, who couldn’t walk or talk is ‘beaten to death’ by her father just days after going home after living in a care facility
- The girl died in her Hunter Valley home after suffering severe internal injuries
- Doctors claimed the incidents weren’t accidental
- The father pleaded not guilty to manslaughter after allegedly beating her
A father who allegedly beat his disabled daughter to death was later heard saying ‘now we have to prove I didn’t do it’.
The 9-year-old girl had severe cerebral palsy, could not walk or talk and had been living in a care facility days before moving to her parent’s Hunter Valley home.
Just days later she was found unresponsive in her bed in July 2011 after her father allegedly struck her multiple times causing severe injuries to her chest and stomach.
The 61-year-old father was charged in February 2014 but pleaded not guilty to manslaughter when he faced the Newcastle District Court.
The father was charged with manslaughter after allegedly killing his daughter at Newcastle District Court (pictured)
The girl, who weighed just 15kg, was put to bed by her mother at about 1:30am on July 17, the court heard.
She was found lifeless about 12 hours later by her father.
The father ran into a bottle on the afternoon of July 18 demanding to use the phone after he ‘found his child dead’, the court heard.
Police and paramedics were called but were unable to revive the 9-year-old.
The girl, who required 24 hour assistance, left a care facility in Raymond Terrace just days before her death.
‘There were no marks on her when staff dressed her that morning and she displayed no signs of any discomfort that would indicate she was in pain’ Crown prosecutor Steven Wilkins told the court.
A post-modern examination confirmed the girl had died after suffering severe internal injuries.
The girl suffered ruptures to her esophagus, diaphragm and tears to her liver.
The 9-year-old was unable to care for herself and suffered from severe cerebral palsy (file image)
Pathologist Dr Brian Beer said the girl’s death was a result of blunt force trauma to her abdomen, likely caused by a hand or fist.
‘Dr Beer is of the opinion that the injuries are non-accidental in nature,’ Mr Wilkinson told the jury.
The girls injuries were consistent with being caused over a short time, possibly minutes.
‘She didn’t get it from us,’ the father said during an interview following his daughter’s death.
After police were called to investigate her death, they overheard the father say suspicious things.
‘Now we have to prove I didn’t do it. I think we need a bit of time to ourselves – now I guess we’ll get it,’ the police allegedly heard the man say.
The court is yet to determine if the father was responsible for the girl’s death.