Baden-Clay found guilty of murder
UPDATED: Gerard Baden-Clay wept and trembled as the mother of his murdered wife told him exactly what he’d stolen from his three young daughters.
The 43-year-old showed little emotion in the Brisbane Supreme Court as he was convicted of murdering his wife Allison in April 2012.
But his composure crumbled when Allison’s mother seized her moment to tell him just what he’d taken from his own children.
“To have mummy put them to bed one night and wake up the next morning to be told that mummy is missing – what a situation to face,” Priscilla Dickie told him.
“The girls will never see their mother again, not just now but for ever and ever.
“They’ve been condemned to a life sentence without the love and companionship only a mother can give.
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“You have changed your daughters’ destiny and sentenced them to life.”
Allison’s father Geoff Dickie stared down his daughter’s killer when it was his turn to speak.
Dickie said he felt like he’d failed Allison because he hadn’t been able to protect her from Baden-Clay.
“We accepted you into our family and you abused our trust with your lies and deceits,” he told Baden-Clay, who’ll spend at least 15 years in jail.
“You asked me for my daughter’s hand in marriage and I consented and gave you permission. But I didn’t give you permission to betray her.”
Allison’s sister Vanessa Fowler also stared at Baden-Clay as she gave her victim impact statement to the court.
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She said her sister had been ridiculed, belittled, demoralised and disrespected during the trial, and Baden-Clay had been content to let that happen.
“It is because of you that three young girls have no mother,” she told him angrily.
Earlier, as the guilty verdict was handed down, she had whispered a simple “thank you” to the men and women of the jury.
By the time the family had concluded their statements, Baden-Clay was silently weeping and visibly shaking as he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 15 years.
Allison’s body was found on a creek bank at Anstead in Brisbane’s west on April 30, 2012, 10 days after her husband reported her missing from their home at nearby Brookfield.
Outside the court, family and friends released bunches of balloons in yellow, Allison’s favourite colour.
The group yelled “yay” as the balloons drifted up into a grey sky.
The detective who led the investigation into Allison’s death said police had come to feel as though they knew her.
“We never got to meet Allison but dealing with the Dickie family and the extended family after this lengthy investigation, I’m sure I not only speak for myself but also the other investigators, I feel we know her,” Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth told reporters.
“… I think we should all agree that Allison was nothing short of a wonderful person, a wonderful mother, friend and daughter.”
Baden-Clay’s lawyer said his client and the Baden-Clay family were devastated by the verdict.
“On behalf of my client’s family I implore you to give them some distance and leave them be,” Peter Shields told reporters.
Shields said it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss an appeal at this time.
