Warning: This story contains content some readers may find distressing.
The mother of an infant girl murdered by her father, Michael John Topp, tells the High Court that she will never forgive him for what he has done.
Top 37 was sentenced to life imprisonment in the High Court at Christchurch, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
The infant suffered a severe head injury and died two days later. An autopsy revealed over 30 fractures to both legs and her ribs.
Topp claimed the baby’s death was a case of manslaughter, and he never intended to kill her.
The mother delivered a heart-wrenching victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing, highlighting Topp’s alleged lack of accountability and remorse.
She described the pain of losing her baby as like “my entire world being blown up” and how her mental health had taken a hit following the tragedy.
She urged the judge to hold Topp accountable before addressing her former partner directly in closing remarks.
Justice Anne Hinton addressed the mother, stating that she was an excellent and devoted mother who could not have suspected what would occur.
He also agreed that Topp was not “genuinely remorseful” for the killing and that violence against young children was regrettably all too common in society.
Click to read more about New Zealand
