A financially ruined father who plotted to kill himself and his family has been sentenced to life in prison for his young daughter’s murder.
Stephen Phillip Playford stockpiled nitrogen gas tanks in the family’s Kedron home as part of a plan to painlessly end their lives.
The former chief operating officer of a mining company had maintained a front of being rich and successful when in fact he was debt-stricken and unemployed.
Sidney Playford (pictured) was found dead in her Brisbane home by her mother in 2015
Her father Stephen Phillip Playford (pictured) pleaded guilty to her murder in November
He was understood to be too proud to approach Centrelink for assistance, as reported by the Courier Mail, and under severe financial stress, hatched the plan to kill himself and his family.
The Brisbane Supreme Court heard Playford took his six-year-old daughter Sidney from her bed on the night of September 7, 2015 while she was still asleep.
He put a mask over her face and tried to gas her to death but she began to fidget so he turned it off, Crown prosecutor Michael Lehane told his sentencing hearing.
When that did not work, he smothered her with a pillow then returned her lifeless body to bed.
He smothered her with a pillow then returned her lifeless body to her bed
Playford was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years, his wife Maria (right) attended his sentencing on Wednesday
The financially ruined father plotted to kill himself, his wife (right) and his daughter
‘He apologised and said he loved her and not to worry and he would be with her soon.
‘Once he was certain she was no longer alive, he removed the mask and returned Sidney to her bed and tucked her in, remembering he did not want her to be cold,’ Mr Lehane said.
Playford left the house after the commotion woke his wife, whom he had also planned to kill.
He headed out to the Gold Coast hinterland and tried to kill himself however was found by a passer-by before later confessing to police.
Justice David Boddice said Playford had committed the ‘most unimaginable criminal conduct’, for which there was no defence.
‘Your conduct truly involved despicable acts,’ Justice Boddice said on Monday.
Playford was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years.