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The parents of a murdered 10-month-old baby spoke out in court today about the horrendous ordeal they suffered after discovering a childminder consistently tortured their daughter.
It was standing room only in the High Court at Auckland today, as dozens of extended family turned out to watch Tiana Mary-Anne Odessa Kapea, 30, sentenced by Justice John Hansen, after she admitted murdering Jyniah Mary Te Awa last year.
Kapea was today jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years. She was also jailed for three years, to run concurrently, for child cruelty.
Jyniah's parents, Lisa Cassidy and Ike Te Awa, addressed the court about their traumatic experience.
"Our baby would be brought home with lollies and bumps and bruises, and every time we'd ask what happened we'd be given excuses. We miss her every day," Ms Cassidy said.
"This woman has poisoned and infected our lives, and everywhere we look we are reminded of it.
"She may be in prison and released one day but we will never be released from the life-time prison in our minds, as we wait to wake up from this nightmare.
"Our beautiful little darling baby girl was so petite and precious, and we'll never see her again. And I couldn't help my baby girl at all."
Jyniah's grandmother, Susan Baker, also spoke out on behalf of the family.
"This has split my family apart, and it's something that won't go away. The longer we have waited for this to be over the worse it has been, but at least today it is coming to an end," Mrs Baker said.
Kapea, a trusted family friend, was caring for Jyniah when she was taken from a Manurewa house to Middlemore Hospital in September last year with a brain injury.
She was transferred to Auckland's Starship Hospital but died the next day.
During her short life, the baby was held against a gas heater, swung around by her hair, hung on a clothes line and put in a closed freezer several times.
She died from injuries after being kicked, thrown against a wall, shaken and smothered.
Crown prosecutor Phil Hamlin told the court that Jyniah suffered quite a number of injuries from August 2007.
"The 10-month-old victim was clearly vulnerable, and was subjected to at least one and a half months of violence. These acts of violence were numerous and cruel, and combined over a period of time they don't show a loss of control, but inextricably it seems, a course of conduct."
The court heard Kapea had children of her own, aged one to nine, but had not abused or mistreated them.
Jonathan Wiles, defending, said Kapea fully accepted responsibility and guilt. She voluntarily surrendered her bail on February 9 and has been in custody for the past nine months.
Justice John Hansen said the summary of facts made "grim reading".
"Whatever remorse you have showed will never answer the loss the immediate family have suffered and will continue to suffer for the rest of their lives," he told Kapea.
The extended period of cruelty and the nature of the injuries inflicted on Jyniah warranted a minimum parole period of 17 years, he said.
- NZPA
