Child killer: ‘I did what happened to him, all of it’
Vicious beating kills 5-year-old boy, father in prison for at least 17 years
Ferro-James Tiopira Sio was only 5 years old when he was beaten and murdered by his father while staying in emergency housing in Rotorua.
Now his father, William James Sio,
25, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum nonparole period of 17 years.
He previously admitted five charges, including murdering FerroJames on February 8 last year at a Union St property in Rotorua.
He also pleaded guilty to joint charges with his partner, Leza Rawiri, of ill-treating and neglecting FerroJames, assaulting the child and failing to get medical care for him after he stopped breathing.
Rawiri, 29, has previously pleaded guilty and is yet to be sentenced.
Details of the abuse a little boy described as “the most loving, easy, kick-back kid” suffered at the hands of Sio and Rawiri were revealed in a police summary of facts before Justice Ian Gault yesterday.
Sio admitted to police he subjected his son to a sustained and severe beating because he felt stressed as he had to “find a house and do everything else” and he was “not the parent of the year”.
He would make the boy face a wall with his hands out straight in front of him for long periods as punishment for what he saw as bad behaviour and would kick and hit him if he faltered.
On the night of his death, Sio violently kicked Ferro-James multiple times when he could no longer stand.
Sio told police he did CPR on his son when his breathing became shallow and he began breathing again. Sio then went to sleep.
A few hours later, Sio told police, he woke to find James cold. He did not appear to be breathing.
Just before 10.30pm, Sio’s phone was used to find a defibrillator nearby. About 10.50pm Rawiri and Sio drove Ferro-James to Rotorua Hospital. The summary said the pair paused a couple of times to talk before entering the hospital’s Emergency Department. Ferro-James was limp and wrapped in a blanket, and they told staff they thought he was already dead.
Attempts were made to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead.
The police summary said Sio and Ferro-James’ mother separated in October 2014, before Ferro-James turned 1.
Sio took full custody in 2017. In
2018, Sio started what was was described as a “volatile” and “violent” relationship with Rawiri.
Ferro-James’ teacher at a Tauranga kohanga reo found bruising and “pinch-type marks on the boy, who told a teacher that “aunty” – what he called Rawiri – had done it.
The teacher repeatedly raised concerns with Sio, who said the marks were from Ferro-James playfighting.
Sio worked as a bricklayer and sometimes would take his son to work and the child would sit in the car the whole time.
Sio often left Ferro-James with friends, sometimes for days.
Sio’s friends enrolled Ferro-James at O¯ whata Primary School, after his father failed to, and he started in October 2019.
In late January, Sio was staying with friends in Rotorua when he punched Ferro-James hard in the chest and stomach, sending him flying backwards and into a hallway.
On January 24, Sio arranged to move into emergency housing on Union St in Rotorua with his son. Rawiri would also stay in the small and cramped room.
In the two weeks leading up to Ferro-James’ death, residents heard the pair argue and fight daily.
Residents would hear Ferro-James screaming in a “frantic and distressed manner”, hitting sounds and the boy crying.
On February 8, between 10am and
11am, Ferro-James and Sio walked to the bathroom.
Sio had his hand on his son’s head and was pushing him along.
Ferro-James had bruising covering the left side of his face and bruises on his chin along his jawline, the summary said.
Sio made Ferro-James have a shower, which caused the boy to cry out in pain. His cries became muffled as though something had been placed over his mouth to keep him quiet.
About midday, Rawiri went into town and returned later in the afternoon. She told police she had gone to sleep and slept through the rest of the assaults on Ferro-James.
During the afternoon, Sio violently kicked Ferro-James multiple times when he could no longer stand, including the forceful kick that affected his breathing.
After his death, the child was found to have multiple bruises, cuts and sores all over his body.
Sio told hospital staff his son had bruises because he had tripped in the
Redwoods. When asked why he had blood on his lips and mouth area, Rawiri said Ferro-James “bites his own tongue” to make it bleed.
But a post-mortem examination found the boy died from multiple blunt-force traumas. A pathologist believed Ferro-James suffered a “sustained and severe beating”.
A range of injuries, included a punctured lung. Some injuries were consistent with older injuries and could have occurred days before his death.
Sio told police: “I did what happened to him, I did all of it. I know I shouldn’t have done it, know it’s wrong.”
The summary said Sio admitted he was “not the parent of the year” and was not equipped to parent a child.
Ferro-James was described by friends, family members and school staff as being a “polite, friendly child who had a great nature”, the summary said.
Sio’s lawyer Fraser Wood said Sio was remorseful.
“It has been a difficult journey for him that he is responsible for his son’s life and that is something he deeply regrets.”
Justice Gault said a cultural report said he was of Samoan and Pa¯keha¯ heritage and had a difficult upbringing. He started smoking cannabis at 13 and using methamphetamine about the age of 15. The report said he had an anti-social personality disorder and cannabis and methamphetamine-use disorder.
Ferro-James’ mother was in court, but a Victim Support volunteer read her victim impact statement.
She spoke of being woken by a phone call from police with the “worst news of my life”.
“You had one job and that was to be his father. I thought I trusted the right person with my child.”
She said Ferro-James would forever be her guardian angel helping to keep her strong.
“I will never forgive you,” she told Sio.
Crown Solicitor Amanda Gordon read Ferro-James’ aunt’s victim impact statement at sentencing.
“You are supposed to love and care for your baby,” she said.
She described Ferro-James as “the most loving, easy, kick-back kid” and if Sio was struggling to look after him, he could have asked for help.
“So many people would have taken him in a heartbeat.”
Outside the court, a friend of the family said something more had to come out of Ferro-James’ death to stop it happening again.