Father gets life for tossing girl off bridge
Source: Agencies |
April 12, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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A MAN who killed his four-year-old daughter by throwing her off a bridge in Australia's second-largest city as her horrified brothers watched was sentenced yesterday to life in prison.
Arthur Freeman, 37, stood motionless as Victorian Supreme Court Justice Paul Coghlan handed down the punishment, which came despite Freeman's argument that he was mentally ill when he tossed his daughter, Darcey, to her death.
"The throwing of your four-year-old daughter from a bridge more than 80 meters above the ground could not be more horrible," Coghlan said.
"What Darcey's last thoughts might have been does not bear thinking about, and her death must have been a painful and protracted one."
The judge said Freeman killed his daughter to get revenge on his ex-wife. The day before, a court had reduced Freeman's access to his children.
Freeman was driving Darcey and her two brothers, aged two and six, through Melbourne on January 29, 2009, when he telephoned his former wife, Peta Barnes, and told her to say goodbye to her children.
He then parked his car in the emergency lane of the bridge, coaxed his daughter out of the car and picked her up. Darcey's brothers watched as Freeman carried her to the edge of the bridge and threw her over the side.
Yesterday, Coghlan sentenced him to life in prison with a non-parole period of 32 years.
Arthur Freeman, 37, stood motionless as Victorian Supreme Court Justice Paul Coghlan handed down the punishment, which came despite Freeman's argument that he was mentally ill when he tossed his daughter, Darcey, to her death.
"The throwing of your four-year-old daughter from a bridge more than 80 meters above the ground could not be more horrible," Coghlan said.
"What Darcey's last thoughts might have been does not bear thinking about, and her death must have been a painful and protracted one."
The judge said Freeman killed his daughter to get revenge on his ex-wife. The day before, a court had reduced Freeman's access to his children.
Freeman was driving Darcey and her two brothers, aged two and six, through Melbourne on January 29, 2009, when he telephoned his former wife, Peta Barnes, and told her to say goodbye to her children.
He then parked his car in the emergency lane of the bridge, coaxed his daughter out of the car and picked her up. Darcey's brothers watched as Freeman carried her to the edge of the bridge and threw her over the side.
Yesterday, Coghlan sentenced him to life in prison with a non-parole period of 32 years.
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