Kill-call dad jailed
A SOUTH Burnett man has been jailed for threatening to “bash and kill” his ex-partner after their seven-month-old baby tragically drowned in a makeshift bath in the laundry sink.
Zephaniah Herbert Graham, 22, called the mother of their child 39 times from jail, threatening to kill her, “boot her in the head” and “break her” between January and April this year.
Crown prosecutor James Bishop told Kingaroy District
Court Graham also called on relatives to harass Lavinia Alison Murray on his behalf, asking them to pass on threats to bash and kill her.
The court heard Graham asked a family member to organise a three-way phone call with himself and Ms Murray in April, where he called her a “c--t” and asked her “drop the charges” so he could get out of jail and help her.
He called again a few days later to pressure her into dropping charges.
Graham was in jail when his daughter died, serving a six-month sentence for assault, meaning he missed the sorry business and her funeral, lawyer James Benjamin told the court.
Mr Benjamin said Graham struggled with drug use, particularly marijuana and ice, and acknowledged he had a problem with anger.
Ms Murray, 21, is charged with manslaughter over the death of the couple’s daughter, accused of leaving the baby in a makeshift bath in the laundry sink, where she drowned.
Police will allege she left the baby for up to 10 minutes in February to check Facebook, and returned to find the little girl blue and unresponsive.
Appearing in court via video link from jail, Graham pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and stalking.
He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and placed on two years’ probation.
A total of 62 days in presentence custody was taken into account as time served, with Graham to be released from custody on Thursday.
Judge Orazio Rinaudo said
he accepted the death of the baby would have been a traumatic event for both parents.
“I hope that has impacted on you the value of human life,” he said.