Brett Peter Cowan has been sentenced to life in jail for the murder of Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe.
Justice Roslyn Atkinson handed down the sentence in the Queensland Supreme Court at 1.10pm today. She also sentenced him to three-and-a-half years for indecently dealing with a child and two years for interfering with a corpse, to be served concurrently. Cowan will be eligible for parole in 20 years.
Related: Daniel Morcombe’s brave twin Bradley speaks out
Related: Cowan found guilty of Morcombe murder
“You were in your own words and opportunistic offender,” Justice Atkinson said. “You didn’t look like a monster, you didn’t look like a paedophile. You looked like an ordinary person.
“Everything you did to that boy was horrific and disgraceful. This is not just a murder, but a terrible murder. It has had widespread and shocking impacts, primarily on his parents and his two brothers, particularly his twin brother. But you gave no thought to them.
“I’ve seen no evidence in the months you’ve been in this court that you ever felt any remorse for what you did. These are chilling and disgraceful crimes. You have tragically and pointlessly snuffed out a young life.
“For the offence of murder the only sentence available is life imprisonment. It is appropriate to set non-parole period of 20 years. Not to say I’m of the view you should be released after 20 years.”
Daniel’s parents, Denise and Bruce Morcombe, were not in court for the sentencing.
A 12-person jury found Cowan, a 44-year-old father of three, guilty yesterday afternoon after seven hours and 25 minutes of deliberation.
Daniel Morcombe – known Australia-wide as the sweet boy with the cheeky smile and the bright red T-shirt – disappeared from a bus stop on the Kiel Mountain Road on 7 December 2003. He’d been going to buy Christmas presents for his family.
His disappearance – and the stoic determination of his parents to find out what happened to him – has galvanised Queenslanders for a decade.
Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe.
Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe.
Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe.
Daniel Morcombe with his twin Bradley.
Daniel Morcombe with his twin Bradley.
Daniel Morcombe with his twin Bradley.
It took eight years and an enormous commitment of both staff and resources, but Queensland detectives, working closely with WA police, were finally able to get Cowan to confess to Daniel’s murder by disguising themselves as stand-over men, loan sharks, and brothel madams.
Together, they managed to convince Cowan that they were all members of the same criminal gang.
In 2011, they invited Cowan to join their fake criminal enterprise, and paid him small amounts of money to stand over prostitutes (who were in fact undercover officers) and to pay fake bribes to fake customs officers.
After several months, they invited him to take part in a major operation worth $100,000 but said they were worried about how closely police were watching him, because Cowan – a known pedophile – had long been a suspect in Daniel’s disappearance.
They promised to buy Cowan an alibi and help him clean up whatever remained of the crime scene, so other members of the fake gang wouldn’t feel the “heat” from having him around.
Cowan confessed that he’d snapped Daniel’s neck after picking him up from the bus stop, and offering to drive him to a local shopping centre.
In the taped confession, he said he wanted to molest Daniel, not kill him, but panicked when Daniel tried to flee. He then dragged Daniel’s body into the bush, where he covered it up with branches and leaves.
Police were able to use the information that Cowan provided to locate the remains of Daniel’s body – just 17 bone fragments – and his Globe skate shoes, and a pair of Bonds underpants.
Cowan was subsequently charged with murder.
His defence argued that he’d made up the confession because he badly wanted to be part of the crime gang.
Cowan’s defence barrister Angus Edwards tried to argue that another convicted child sex offender Douglas Jackway, was to blame for Daniel’s death, and that Jackway may have told other criminals where he’d placed Daniel’s body, and that those criminals may have passed details onto Cowan.
The jury didn’t buy it.
Crown prosecutor Michael Byrne QC that Cowan led undercover police to Daniel’s remains.
“He knew where these things were because he is the one who killed Daniel Morcombe,” Mr Byrne said.
Related: Daniel Morcombe’s brave twin Bradley speaks out
Related: Cowan found guilty of Morcombe murder
Cowan didn’t testify in his own defence. He changed his name to Shaddo N-unyah Hunter after becoming a suspect in Daniel’s murder and was living in WA at the time of the police sting.
Cowan was charged in 2011. It has taken more than two years for the case to come to court.
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