A 32-year prison sentence was imposed on a man who was convicted of killing a child by beating him after moving in with the boy’s mother.
Brendan Pallant, 36, entered a not guilty plea to the 2019 murder and was set to stand trial in Victoria’s Supreme Court for a month.
He was given a sentence of 32 years in prison with a 25-year non-parole period on Monday.
On September 2, 2019, Jaidyn Gomes-Sebastiao, also known as Snuffles, passed away at the age of two.
Twenty-six days before Jaidyn was discovered dead in his bedroom at the Langwarrin residence from head injuries, Pallant moved in with Jaidyn’s mother, Stacie Saggers.
On September 2, while the boys’ mother was at work, he was watching Jaidyn and his sibling.
That’s when he killed the child. The 32-year sentence, according to Justice Jane Dixon, was longer than the typical 25-year sentence for murder.
Justice Dixon informed the court, “One major aggravating factor is the victim’s age and vulnerability.”
“A newborn or young child’s life is extremely valuable because they are so defenceless and susceptible. “The ordinary natural instinct of any decent human being is to feel tenderness and protectiveness … the offender’s culpability in this case is of a high order.”
Pallant may be eligible for parole in 2044 after serving his sentence.
