William Tyrrell’s foster parents have been sentenced to 12-month good behaviour bonds after they were found guilty of intimidating a child.
William’s foster mother and foster father on Wednesday appeared before Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court where they were sentenced for a slew of offences.
The charges arose after police planted surveillance devices in their home and car and secretly recorded 1000 hours of audio over 14 months as part of Strike Force Rosann, which was set up to investigate William’s disappearance, the court heard.
The couple appeared in court on Wednesday, alongside several supporters, including former officer in charge of the Tyrrell investigation, Gary Jubelin.
The foster father was last week found guilty of intimidating a child.
The child was not William, who hasn’t been seen since vanishing as a three-year-old in 2014 while at his foster grandmother’s home at Kendall on the NSW Mid-North Coast.
The court was told the foster father had sworn and shouted at the child, causing the child to cry while on the way to school.
The foster father could be heard in covert police recordings telling the child ‘every f**king day’ and later to ‘move, f**king, move’.
The 57-year-old was also acquitted of assaulting the same child.
Magistrate Susan McIntyre found that while the foster father had used physical force to enforce a 44-minute time-out, it amounted to lawful use of force.
The foster mother, 58, was found guilty of intimidation, while another similar count of intimidation was dismissed.
The woman was found guilty of intimidation relating to threats to slap the child during heated arguments.
The woman was also on Wednesday sentenced for two counts of assault after she pleaded guilty to kicking the child and hitting them with a wooden spoon.
The man’s barrister Phillip English told the court that the foster father had been diagnosed with PTSD and prescribed antidepressants since William’s disappearance in 2014.
William’s foster mother and foster father (pictured together) on Wednesday appeared before Sydney ‘s Downing Centre Local Court where they were sentenced for a slew of offencesÂ
He argued the offences occurred during a time of high anxiety and financial vulnerability.
The court was told that during their life the couple had cared for 12 foster children, which Mr English described as an ‘incredible act of community service’.
He also said the couple had been subject to an ‘incredible’ amount of media interest, which had taken a toll on both of the foster parents.
He asked that the court deal with the charges by way of a non-conviction.
The foster mother’s barrister John Stratton SC argued that the offending occurred in the context of the stress of ongoing investigation into William’s disappearance.
He also noted she had expressed contrition and remorse in a letter to the court.
He told the court that she had loved the foster child like one of her own and had hoped the child would be returned to her care.
The woman at one point dabbed tears from her eyes as her barrister addressed her relationship with the child.
The couple appeared in court on Wednesday, alongside several supporters, including former officer in charge of the Tyrrell investigation, Gary Jubelin (pictured)
He argued she had excellent prospects of rehabilitation, was unlikely to reoffend, and asked that the court not impose a conviction
Despite their lawyers pushing for the matters to be dealt with by way of non-convictions, Ms McIntyre convicted them both and sentenced them to 12-month orders to be served in the community.
Ms McIntyre pointed out that the foster father was in a position of responsibility and noted the offences were on the lower end of the spectrum for that offence.
Ms McIntyre also noted that the foster mother had not come into contact with the justice system before she was charged, describing her as an ‘admired foster parent.
She said while the assault charges occurred in the context of disciplining a child, it was ‘never justifiable’.
The foster mother was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order, while the foster father was handed a 12-month good behaviour bond.
Asked if she agreed to the terms of the order, the foster mother told the court: ‘Yes’.
The couple were also fined $1500 each after they had another person place dummy bids at the auction of their Sydney home, which eventually sold for $4.1 million.
Both previously pleaded not guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
However the fraud charges were withdrawn by prosecutors and the couple both pleaded guilty to regulatory charges.
They both pleaded guilty to procuring a third party to make dummy bids, in contravention of the Property and Stock Agents Act.
No one has ever been charged over William’s disappearance and the foster parents deny any knowledge or involvement.
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