A man who killed an eighteen-month-old he was babysitting has walked free from prison a day before what would have been the boy's 10th birthday.
Key points:
- Hemi Goodwin-Burke died in hospital after suffering extensive serious injuries
- Matthew James Ireland was jailed after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the day his murder trial was to begin
- Hemi's family will light 10 candles and sing happy birthday in his memory
Matthew James Ireland, 38, was babysitting Hemi Goodwin-Burke in March 2015.
Hemi's parents, Shane Burke and Kerrigan Goodwin, had flown from their Moranbah home to Brisbane for an appointment when family called to tell them needed to fly to Townsville Hospital immediately.
Doctors found 75 bruises on Hemi's body, a broken rib, ruptured internal organs and a severed brain stem.
He was put on life support but passed away.
Hemi's grandmother, 63-year-old Lyn Burke, called out to Matthew James Ireland as he walked out of the gates of Wolston Correctional Centre this morning.
"He has served a full eight-and-a-half years — that was his full sentence," she said.
"I saw him walk out and it didn't look like him, but I knew it was him.
"I called out his name and he looked at me.
"I said, 'You're free today and we've still got our life sentence.'"
Ms Burke said Ireland replied, "You have no idea what it's been like."
Queensland Correctional Services have confirmed Ireland is no longer in custody.
'So pathetic'
Mr Ireland was initially charged with torture and grievous bodily harm.
After Hemi died he was charged with murder.
On the day Ireland's trial was set to begin he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in the Supreme Court in Mackay.
In June 2017 he was sentenced to eight years and six months' jail and was eligible for parole in March 2019.
Ms Burke said the family's efforts to appeal the sentence were unsuccessful.
"We worked with other different family members who'd gone through the same thing with the state government to try and make laws tougher," she said.
"We went to Townsville, we went to Brisbane, we stood in the Parliament House and said our bit about why laws should be tougher.
"We did it their way — what should we do now?
"It's a bad day for every child in Queensland who has been killed by violence because the sentencing is so pathetic."
Hemi's parents and their 11-year-old daughter now live in Far North Queensland, Ms Burke said.
"They've gone to a small town where no-one knows their story … they can live their life," she said.
"You go on because you have to."
Tomorrow the family will light 10 candles and sing happy birthday in Hemi's memory.