Man jailed for life for torturing and murdering two-year-old stepdaughter

Warning: This story contains the name and images of a deceased Indigenous person.

A man who murdered a two-year-old girl after inflicting severe physical abuse and punishments has been jailed for life.

Tane Saul Desatge, 45, was found guilty in the Queensland Supreme Court at Toowoomba of the murder and torture of Kaydence Hazel Mills some time between February 16 and May 6 in 2017 at Chinchilla, west of Brisbane.

Following a judge-alone trial, Justice Sean Cooper found Desatge caused Kaydence’s death by hitting her on the head and face with the bamboo stick with the intention of at least doing grievous bodily harm.

Justice Cooper on Thursday sentenced Desatge to life imprisonment with his 1066 days spent on remand recognised as time served.

He will be eligible to apply for parole in March 2042.

Kaydence’s mother and Desatge’s fiancee at the time, Sinitta Tammy Dawita, was acquitted of murder and torture at the same trial.

Kaydence had been subject to escalating violence before her death, with Desatge more frequently hitting her with the stick.

“I find that Mr Desatge felt a significant degree of animosity towards [Kaydence’s father] and this animosity influenced his feelings towards Kaydence and his treatment of her,” Justice Cooper said.

Family members told Justice Cooper during the trial that more and more noticeable bruises, often in a straight line, appeared on the little girl and she was repeatedly forced to eat her own faeces.

Kaydence was last seen alive lying on a red couch at the family’s home, with her eyes closed and not moving and with bruises on her head and face.

Desatge and Dawita concealed Kaydence’s death by wrapping her body in garbage bags and initially placing her in the outhouse at their home’s backyard.

The couple moved her body to Chinchilla Weir where she was buried. Her body was discovered in March 2020. 

Desatge and Dawita had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of interfering with a dead body.

Dawita was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison and with time already served she will be eligible for parole on September 23.

For support call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged five to 25).