The man who abducted Cleo Smith from a remote campsite 18 months ago has been sentenced to 13 years and six months’ imprisonment.
Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty last year to one count of forcibly taking a child under 16. He abducted the four-year-old girl and held her captive for 18 days.
Kelly snatched Cleo from a tent on October 16, 2021, as she slept with her mother and stepfather at the Blowholes campsite, near Carnarvon, about 960km north of Perth.
‘There are no truly comparable cases to assist in determining the length of a sentence,’ Chief Judge Julie Wager said on sentence.
Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith and stepdad Jake Gliddon were seen arriving at the District Court of WA in Perth earlier on Wednesday.
It was the first time the pair have been seen since they were interviewed by 60 Minutes last year.
Kelly, who sat silently in the dock wearing a green shirt, will be eligible for parole after serving 11 years and six months.
His sentence will be backdated to his arrest in November 2021 and had be looking at up to 20 years behind bars.
Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith and stepdad Jake Gliddon arrive at the District Court of WA in Perth on Wednesday for the sentencing for the man who abducted the little girl in October 2021
Terence Darrell Kelly (pictured centre), 37, pleaded guilty last year to one count of forcibly taking a child under 16
Judge Wager described the fear, distress and trauma caused to Cleo and her parents as ‘immeasurable’.
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‘Eighteen days without contact or explanation, and with hours totally on her own and no access to the outside world, would have been very traumatic,’ she said.
‘In the world of a four-year-old, one day is a very long time. In the world of a four-year-old, 18 days is a very, very long time indeed.’
Cleo was reported missing on October 16, 2021. She had been staying with her family at the remote Blowholes campsite, about 960km north of Perth.
Cleo’s mum awoke in the early morning to find Cleo missing from the family tent, sparking a major police investigation.
The WA government announced a $1 million reward for information leading to Cleo’s location or to the arrest and conviction of people involved in her disappearance.
Cleo was found by police on November 3 alone in a room at a property in nearby Carnarvon, 18 days after she was reported missing.
The dramatic rescue and Cleo’s confirmation of her name was captured by an officer’s body-worn camera and subsequently made news headlines around the world.
Kelly was taken into custody on the same day and later charged.
Earlier this year, he was fined after admitting to obstructing police officers at a regional station in the aftermath of his arrest.
Mother Ellie Smith (pictured with Cleo and partner Jake Gliddon) awoke in the early morning to find four-year-old Cleo Smith missing from the family tent, sparking a major police investigation
Cleo was reported missing on October 16, 2021. She had been staying with her family at the remote Blowholes campsite (pictured), about 960km north of Perth
