Mrs Behavin
Well-Known Member
A father who bashed his baby to death during fits of rage wanted to buy a punching bag to relieve his anger, court documents have revealed.
David Scott Arney, 24, of Heidelberg West, admitted punching his daughter Rachael on about 10 occasions before she died last December, aged five months.
An autopsy found Rachael died from a ruptured bowel and had head injuries, a broken rib and other trauma consistent with "battered baby syndrome".
Arney was charged with Rachael's murder and has pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to the lesser charges of manslaughter and recklessly causing serious injury.
In documents tendered to the court, Arney admitted to police he had anger problems and had punched the baby in the stomach on at least 10 occasions to relieve tension.
"Yes, I had punched her and the reason for that was my fits of ... passion, because I was upset, because I have been depressed," Arney said in his record of interview.
"There have been times when I have only punched her once in the stomach, but I'm sure that there are times when there may have been once, twice, three times."
Arney told police he aimed for Rachael's stomach because it was "a fleshy part and something that would not show up as much" but said he never wanted to kill her.
The defendant said he loved Rachael but resented her impacting on his life and had talked to his wife Laurita, then aged 20, about putting their daughter up for adoption.
Arney admitted he needed anger management counselling and said he talked to his wife about getting a punching bag to relieve his tension.
"That way if I had any issues at all, you know ... I can just start punching into it and get out the anger."
Arney admitted punching Rachael in the three days before she lost consciousness and stopped breathing on December 15, last year.
She was pronounced dead at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg at 10.34am that day.
Arney, dressed in a suit and wearing a silver band on his left ring finger, sobbed in court after pleading guilty to his daughter's manslaughter.
The defendant, a practising Christian and former Foxtel employee, was supported by his parents in court.
Prosecutor Jeremy Rapke told the court he accepted the defendant's plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Magistrate Maurice Gurvich remanded Arney in custody to appear in the Supreme Court for a directions hearing on September 26.
David Scott Arney, 24, of Heidelberg West, admitted punching his daughter Rachael on about 10 occasions before she died last December, aged five months.
An autopsy found Rachael died from a ruptured bowel and had head injuries, a broken rib and other trauma consistent with "battered baby syndrome".
Arney was charged with Rachael's murder and has pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to the lesser charges of manslaughter and recklessly causing serious injury.
In documents tendered to the court, Arney admitted to police he had anger problems and had punched the baby in the stomach on at least 10 occasions to relieve tension.
"Yes, I had punched her and the reason for that was my fits of ... passion, because I was upset, because I have been depressed," Arney said in his record of interview.
"There have been times when I have only punched her once in the stomach, but I'm sure that there are times when there may have been once, twice, three times."
Arney told police he aimed for Rachael's stomach because it was "a fleshy part and something that would not show up as much" but said he never wanted to kill her.
The defendant said he loved Rachael but resented her impacting on his life and had talked to his wife Laurita, then aged 20, about putting their daughter up for adoption.
Arney admitted he needed anger management counselling and said he talked to his wife about getting a punching bag to relieve his tension.
"That way if I had any issues at all, you know ... I can just start punching into it and get out the anger."
Arney admitted punching Rachael in the three days before she lost consciousness and stopped breathing on December 15, last year.
She was pronounced dead at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg at 10.34am that day.
Arney, dressed in a suit and wearing a silver band on his left ring finger, sobbed in court after pleading guilty to his daughter's manslaughter.
The defendant, a practising Christian and former Foxtel employee, was supported by his parents in court.
Prosecutor Jeremy Rapke told the court he accepted the defendant's plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Magistrate Maurice Gurvich remanded Arney in custody to appear in the Supreme Court for a directions hearing on September 26.
