No extra time for ‘Grin Reaper’ as appeal not ordered

A CALLOUS child killer who walked out of court laughing will not serve a single extra day in jail after Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath decided not to order an appeal against his paltry sentence.

In a case that outraged the nation, Matthew Scown, dubbed the “Grin Reaper”, was given less than three years’ jail for the horrific manslaughter of four-year-old Tyrell Cobb.

Despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk slamming Scown and Ms D’Ath admitting there was growing public concern about sentences for child killers, Scown’s sentence will not be appealed on advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The bombshell pushes law and order to the centre of election campaign, with One Nation leader Steve Dickson slamming the decision as “just disgraceful”.

Ms D’Ath’s office yesterday confirmed the appeal would not happen after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions advised against it.

The decision comes despite Ms D’Ath last month announcing a review into child killer sentences.

“The Palaszczuk Government recognises there is growing concern from the general public about whether sentencing for criminal offences arising from the death of a child are meeting the community’s expectations,” she said.

Tyrell, 4, died in agony at his mother’s Gold Coast unit in May 2009 after suffering a blow to his stomach.

It is now alleged Tyrell’s mother, Heidi Strbak, caused the fatal injuries and Scown gave evidence at her sentencing hearing this week that she hit the child in the days before he died.

Dramatic scenes played out in the sentencing of Tyrell’s mother after the boy’s father Jason Cobb testified she said she couldn’t “handle” the boy shortly before he died.

Strbak appeared in the Brisbane Supreme Court yesterday as her contested sentencing hearing for a manslaughter charge entered its third day.

The hearing continues today.