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Matthew Lee Williamson sentenced over the manslaughter of his three-year-old daughter Kyhesha-Lee Joughin.

In December we shared the story of young Kyhesha-Lee who was found deceased at her father’s unit in Petrie, Queensland  in March 2013.

The court heard a doctor found she had suffered deliberate and protracted physical and sexual assault in the week leading up to her death, from an infected internal injury.

Crown prosecutor Carson Lloyd said the stomach injury, one of many, was consistent with a blow from a fist, foot, or adult falling on her.

She also had bruising on her face, lacerations on her ear as if she had been pulled, an injury to her temple, and cuts to her lip from possible blows.

A friend who visited the unit allegedly noticed Kyhesha-Lee was unwell and raised the alarm the evening before she died.

Magistrate Christine Roney said there was a “sturdy” case against the toddler’s father.

“In the 24 hours prior to her death there is direct evidence … that it was drawn to his attention, should it need to have been, that the child needed medical attention,” she said.

“The eminent doctors give evidence that in the 12 to 24 hours prior to her death she would have been in extreme pain.”

In 2013 Matthew Williamson’s family said he looked after Kyhesha-Lee full-time, and was dedicated to his daughter, with a tattoo of her name on his left arm.

The little girl’s first word was “Dad”, a sign of her devotion to her father, Kyhesha-Lee’s uncle and Matthew’s brother Jarrod Williamson told The Courier-Mail.

UPDATE 1 March 2017

The Brisbane Supreme Court heard this morning that he used a rope to keep her locked in her room while he slept all day. He also smacked and slapped Kyhesha-Lee Joughin so hard his flatmate could hear the abuse in another room, reports news.com.au.

The court was told Williamson was often enraged at the girl because she threw faeces while detained in her room, usually from about 7pm.

“It was like two adults fighting,” Williamson’s former flatmate Christopher Kent told during the sentence hearing.

“He didn’t give a shit,” he said.

“She cried and cried and cried and all Matt could do was yell.”

Kent also told the court that Williamson was more interested in getting coffee and a cigarette than helping him resuscitate the toddler.

He tried to revive Khyesha after noticing her lips were turning blue and tried to wake Williamson, who was sleeping on a nearby couch, to help.

“He didn’t give a shit,” he said.

“He just wanted his coffee and smoke.”

Christopher Kent previously spent 19 months in jail after also pleading guilty to Khyesha’s manslaughter, reports 9 news.

Kent has previously been convicted of sexual assault and has a criminal record dating back to 1989 but denies ever abusing Khyesha.

He’s currently in jail, he says, for driving while disqualified and is worried fellow inmates will find out he’s giving evidence.

UPDATE 6 April

Matthew Lee Williamson has been sentenced to nine years in jail, reports ABC news.

During the sentencing hearing, Justice Roslyn Atkinson said she was satisfied Williamson had delivered the fatal blow to Kyhesha-Lee Joughin, saying the child had died a “slow, painful death”.

“It would be hard to imagine the misery this frightened little girl suffered,” she said.

Justice Atkinson told the hearing Kyhesha-Lee had lived in a “depraved and disgusting” environment and Williamson was “callous”.

He has been deemed a serious violent offender, which means he must serve 80 per cent of his sentence.

Kyhesha-Lee’s mother, Danielle Joughin, 29, said outside court she was pleased to see Williamson jailed for nine years, but she did not feel she had received justice, reports Courier Mail.

Ms Joughin said nine years did not compare with the loss of her daughter’s life.

“To think he took her from me out of spite and this is the way he was going to treat her afterwards. It’s disgusting,” Ms Joughin said.

She said it was quite disturbing to hear details of the injuries inflicted on her daughter during sentencing.

“She was bubbly, she was energetic, she was funny, she had a little Miss Diva attitude and I miss that about her, just like her little brother Joey, full of energy, full of love,” Ms Joughin said of her daughter.

She said she and her family were heartbroken and every day was a task.

“Her memory will never be forgotten, there are pictures on the wall, we’re always talking about her,” Ms Joughin said.

Related story – Mother of toddler who died in her father’s home reveals her horror

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  • That poor little angel.
    He should be medically castrated so he is unable to have further children.

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  • That poor little girl. My heart breaks for her.

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  • i hope he gets what he deserves from the other prisoners

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  • So sad to read this. RIP Kyhesha Lee

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  • How could this man do this to his own flesh and blood. When I read this I was so angry with the thought of the pain this dear little girl went through from the hands of her own father, the one she trusted. Why, oh why, does God put such dear little ones in the hands of those who cause them harm and ill care. Why? Rest with His angels dear little one. You are at peace now. Him dedicated, yeah what a joke. Dedicated to hurting her. You disgusting excuse for a member of the human race.

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  • neglect is failing to give the child the essential things that they need, food, comfort, medical etc. Physically injuring a child deliberately causing death should be murder!

    I hope that judges and jury do not reduce the charge or let him get away with hurting a child – this is disgusting and people should not be let off lightly when it comes to the death of children!

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  • Poor child, how can people do this?!

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  • What I don’t get is how this can be considered manslaughter when the injuries given to her are clearly intentional and aggressive- any idiot would know that doing these kinds of things to a young child could or would lead to death. I think he should be punished to the full extent of the law.

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  • How can you plead guilty to manslaughter then want it changed to neglect. If that goes through then our justice system is worse than I thought.

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  • NO. I cannot read this past the first para. Sickening. Enough. This is now such a commonplace act. No.

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  • Sexual assault on a three year old. Whoever killed this little girl has a lot to answer to.
    RIP Kylie – sounds as if you are now in a far better place.

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  • A few queries on this particular case!
    There was also another male that lived at the residence Christopher Arthur Neville Kent, 47 he was given 2 yrs suspended sentence after serving only 19 mths behind bars???? Mathew lee Williamson the father of Kyhesha lee is wanting to bring his charge down to negligence – being he did not take the toddler to a doctor or ask for medical advice. The sad situation is there were two grown human beings in this house hold at the time and a friend that visited the household around the same time yet there is a dead little girl who did not get a chance at what her life had to bring to the world, yet she only knew of the monstrosities this world could bring and it bought about her death.
    I understand coroners findings can always be put down to needing another set of eyes but this disgusts me down to my core. I hope he gets the full force of the law. It is a privilege to be a parent. Rest in peace little one.

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  • Thinking about how this little girl suffered makes me really upset. I hope dad will be followed by his actions for the rest of his life and may it be a burden to him.

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  • An innocent child’s life taken in such a brutal way. Basically torture.
    I feel for the friend who must have been so distressed to discover what had happened and that his/her visit and report was too late to safe the little girl’s life

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  • Poor little girl. I just don’t understand these cases.

    Reply

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