Far North Queensland father jailed for killing five-year-old son
Jason Fourmile pleaded guilty to eight domestic violence charges. (Supplied: Facebook)
In short:
Jason Ross Allan Fourmile was sentenced to 14 years in prison for killing his son.
The court heard the boy had been subjected to weeks of physical abuse before his eventual death.
What's next?
Fourmile will be eligible for parole in 2033.
A Far North Queensland father has been jailed for 14 years for the assault and eventual death of his five-year-old son in 2022.
Warning: This story contains details of child abuse and domestic violence that may distress some readers.
Jason Ross Allan Fourmile, 28, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Cairns on Thursday to eight domestic violence charges.
Six of the charges related to the physical abuse of his son at Yarrabah, 10 kilometres east of Cairns.
Two charges were for breaches of Domestic Violence Orders (DVO).
During sentencing on Monday, Justice James Henry said while Fourmile was charged with manslaughter and not murder, it was "not merely a case of negligence".
"You took the life of your five-year-old son," Justice Henry said.
"That poor little boy must have endured prolonged pain and fear at your hands, his father."
During sentencing submissions, the court heard the boy had lived with his mother in Cairns but came into his father's care in Yarrabah when she commenced studies.
"During this period in which [the child] was in the defendant's care, the defendant was physically abusive toward him," Crown prosecutor Dejana Kovac said.
Dejana Kovac (right) suggested Fourmile be jailed for up to 16 years. (ABC Far North: Rosanne Maloney)
A medical assessment later revealed injuries covering the child's body, including broken bones which were determined to have likely occurred days prior to the injuries which ultimately led to his death, the court heard.
Mother's ongoing trauma
During sentencing submissions, the child's mother described the "endless and paralysing" pain and trauma of losing her son in such a violent way.
"The pain is constant and so is the reminder that I will never get to hold my little boy in my arms again," she said.
"I'm working hard to heal but those scars live in my mind every day."
The 28-year-old father was sentenced in the Cairns Supreme Court. (ABC News: Mark Rigby)
Ms Kovac told the court Fourmile had a history of domestic violence offending dating back to 2016 when he was 18.
It included multiple breaches of DVOs and years of attempted, but failed, intervention.
Ms Kovac said the history was significant in considering Fourmile's sentence.
Charges after police investigation
Police launched an investigation after the five-year-old was flown to Townsville University Hospital with critical injuries in August 2022.
The day after his death, detectives from the Cairns Child Protection Unit and the Criminal Investigation Branch, along with detectives from Brisbane's Child Trauma Unit, arrested and charged Fourmile.
The boy was in his father's care in Yarrabah when the physical abuse began, the court heard.
Justice Henry said he considered that Fourmile had a difficult upbringing and was subjected to domestic violence and sexual abuse as a child.
He also took into consideration his struggles with substance abuse and poor mental health.
Fourmile will be eligible for parole in 2033, with three-and-a-half years already served.