Jury finds burglar guilty of bashing sleeping baby to death

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/09/man-guilty-of-bashing-sleeping-baby-to-death

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A Victorian man has been found guilty of murdering a sleeping 10-month-old boy as he robbed the boy's house.

A Victorian supreme court jury on Wednesday found Harley Hicks, 20, of North Bendigo, guilty of murder, aggravated burglary and two counts of theft amid a robbery spree in the Bendigo suburb of Long Gully early on 15 June 2012.

Hicks beat baby Zayden Veal-Whitting with a home-made baton made of copper wire wrapped in tape, which was later found in Hicks' possession and with DNA from Hicks and Zayden on it, prosecutor Michelle Williams SC said.

"Let me put it bluntly to you, he bashed the child to death with sufficient force to cause those very severe injuries," she told the jury during the trial.

"We allege the accused man unplugged the baby monitor and that he struck the baby at least 25 times to the head with that home-made baton."

Police later discovered sunglasses stolen from Zayden's home at a house Hicks had recently visited, along with the baton, which Hicks had placed in a car.

Defence barrister David Hallowes said Hicks had robbed some homes and cars but was not the murderer.

"He's a liar, he's a thief, he's a drug user – that does not make him a killer," he told the trial.

"We take issue that Harley Hicks was the only person out that night with dishonest intent."

He told the jury a second man had accompanied Hicks and suggested Hicks's identical twin, Ashley, could not be excluded from scrutiny because his DNA matched the accused's.