A 21-year-old man has been jailed for life for the brutal and "evil" killing of a 10-month-old baby in his Bendigo home two years ago.
"The life of a baby is particularly special and precious. What you did was totally and utterly evil"
According to The Bendigo Advertiser, Harley Hicks, 21, had committed a series of home burglaries in Long Gully, Australia when he entered baby Zayden Veal-Whitting's home.
Once inside, he bludgeoned 10-month-old Zayden to death, using a home-made baton crafted from copper wire and tape .
The little boy's mother tragically discovered her son in his cot lying strangely with his blanket over his face. When she pulled back the blanket, she discovered her baby had suffered horrific facial injuries.
The judge said that the full account of the injuries to Zayden was harrowing to say the least, and Hicks struck the boy because he 'specifically intended to kill him'.
Sentencing Hicks to life in prison, a judge said: “It is almost unthinkable that any human being could have carried out the sickening crime that you have committed.
"The life of a baby is particularly special and precious. What you did was totally and utterly evil."
Hicks must serve a minimum of 32 years in jail before being eligible for parole.
Zayden's mother Casey Veal released a victim statement, emotionally revealing: "I miss Zayden each second of each day. Words cannot describe the pain I feel for both my sons.
"I am serving a life sentence .. all I have is memories and most of them are tainted by this crime."