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| Kristi Abrahams jailed for murder of her six-year-old daughter Kiesha | Kristi Abrahams jailed for murder of her six-year-old daughter Kiesha |
| (2 months later) | |
| Kristi Anne Abrahams has been jailed for at least 16 years for murdering her daughter Kiesha. | Kristi Anne Abrahams has been jailed for at least 16 years for murdering her daughter Kiesha. |
| Abrahams, 30, gave no reaction as Justice Ian Harrison sentenced her to a maximum term of 22 and a half years for murdering the "vulnerable and defenceless" little girl and for interfering with her body afterwards. | Abrahams, 30, gave no reaction as Justice Ian Harrison sentenced her to a maximum term of 22 and a half years for murdering the "vulnerable and defenceless" little girl and for interfering with her body afterwards. |
| "The trust placed between a parent and child is of the highest and utmost importance," Harrison told the supreme court in Sydney on Thursday. | "The trust placed between a parent and child is of the highest and utmost importance," Harrison told the supreme court in Sydney on Thursday. |
| "[Abrahams] caused the death of [Kiesha] with the infliction of a violent, lethal force on what was a vulnerable and defenceless child in her care who was entitled to expect and receive her attention." | "[Abrahams] caused the death of [Kiesha] with the infliction of a violent, lethal force on what was a vulnerable and defenceless child in her care who was entitled to expect and receive her attention." |
| Abrahams pleaded guilty to murdering her six-year-old daughter in July 2010 on the first day of her trial last month. | Abrahams pleaded guilty to murdering her six-year-old daughter in July 2010 on the first day of her trial last month. |
| She has only ever given one account of the murder to police, telling an undercover officer she gave Kiesha a little "nudge" with her foot when the child wouldn't put on her pyjamas, causing her to fall and hit her head against the bed. | She has only ever given one account of the murder to police, telling an undercover officer she gave Kiesha a little "nudge" with her foot when the child wouldn't put on her pyjamas, causing her to fall and hit her head against the bed. |
| A postmortem examination showed Kiesha was the victim of severe child abuse in the weeks and months leading up to her death. | A postmortem examination showed Kiesha was the victim of severe child abuse in the weeks and months leading up to her death. |
| The crown submitted Abrahams punched the little girl's jaw at least two to three times from different directions. | The crown submitted Abrahams punched the little girl's jaw at least two to three times from different directions. |
| After Kiesha died, Abrahams and her partner, Robert Smith, kept her body in a suitcase in their Mount Druitt home for some days, before burning and burying it in a shallow grave. | After Kiesha died, Abrahams and her partner, Robert Smith, kept her body in a suitcase in their Mount Druitt home for some days, before burning and burying it in a shallow grave. |
| They then reported her missing and pretended for the next eight months the little girl had disappeared. | They then reported her missing and pretended for the next eight months the little girl had disappeared. |
| The court has heard Abrahams hated Kiesha because she resembled her biological father, Chris Weippeart. | The court has heard Abrahams hated Kiesha because she resembled her biological father, Chris Weippeart. |
| She was convicted of biting Kiesha in the shoulder when she was aged just 15 months old and, at the age of three, Kiesha told a social worker her mother had burned her with a cigarette. | She was convicted of biting Kiesha in the shoulder when she was aged just 15 months old and, at the age of three, Kiesha told a social worker her mother had burned her with a cigarette. |
| Smith was jailed for at least 12 years in May for Kiesha's manslaughter and for being an accessory to murder. | Smith was jailed for at least 12 years in May for Kiesha's manslaughter and for being an accessory to murder. |
| Harrison found Abrahams did not intend to kill Kiesha when she inflicted "no more than two blows" on the little girl, but intended to cause her grievous bodily harm. | Harrison found Abrahams did not intend to kill Kiesha when she inflicted "no more than two blows" on the little girl, but intended to cause her grievous bodily harm. |
| He said he could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Abrahams was responsible for Kiesha's prior injuries. | He said he could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Abrahams was responsible for Kiesha's prior injuries. |
| "Although the evidence establishes [Abrahams] had been short-tempered with [Kiesha] in the past and she was not coping, the evidence is insufficient to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the offender had previously caused the injuries of the deceased other than the bite in 2005," he said. | "Although the evidence establishes [Abrahams] had been short-tempered with [Kiesha] in the past and she was not coping, the evidence is insufficient to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the offender had previously caused the injuries of the deceased other than the bite in 2005," he said. |
| Harrison said Kiesha's death was "the inevitable product of entire intergenerational failures", noting Abrahams herself was abused as a child. | Harrison said Kiesha's death was "the inevitable product of entire intergenerational failures", noting Abrahams herself was abused as a child. |
| "The offender's failures are mirrored in the failures of others," he said. | "The offender's failures are mirrored in the failures of others," he said. |
| Abrahams will be eligible for parole in April 2027. | Abrahams will be eligible for parole in April 2027. |
| Speaking outside court, former family friend Alison Anderson said the sentence "wasn't good enough". | Speaking outside court, former family friend Alison Anderson said the sentence "wasn't good enough". |
| "It's just horrifying knowing she can be out when she's 46," she said. | "It's just horrifying knowing she can be out when she's 46," she said. |
| "We're all in shock. The family is in shock." | "We're all in shock. The family is in shock." |
| Kiesha's biological grandmother, Liz Weippeart, said she was happy with the sentence. | Kiesha's biological grandmother, Liz Weippeart, said she was happy with the sentence. |
| "It's finally over and done with and she can sit there and rot," she said. | "It's finally over and done with and she can sit there and rot," she said. |
| The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector Russell Oxford, said it had been three years since Kiesha's body was dumped. | The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector Russell Oxford, said it had been three years since Kiesha's body was dumped. |
| "Three years ago today a little girl called Kiesha Weippeart lay dead in a suitcase and she was taken out in the cover of darkness and put into a shallow grave and burnt," he said. | "Three years ago today a little girl called Kiesha Weippeart lay dead in a suitcase and she was taken out in the cover of darkness and put into a shallow grave and burnt," he said. |
| "We should remember this little girl, six-year-old girl, taken away." | "We should remember this little girl, six-year-old girl, taken away." |
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