July 16th 2024.
The foster parents of William Tyrrell, who were previously convicted and sentenced for assault and intimidation of another child, will have to wait for at least six months to appeal their case. This was decided during their appearance at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on Tuesday, where their hearing dates were scheduled. The couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were hoping to have their cases heard by separate judges, as requested by the foster father's solicitor, Phoebe MacDougall.
In March, Magistrate Susan McIntyre ruled that the mother's threats to slap the child were considered as intimidation. The woman had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assault, admitting that she had used a wooden spoon to hit the child and had also kicked them on the thigh. On another occasion, the foster father had also intimidated the child while driving them to school, causing the child to cry and sob. However, McIntyre dismissed five counts of intimidation against the foster mother and one charge of assault against the foster father. The couple was convicted and given 12-month good-behaviour bonds.
Currently, the foster father's appeal hearing is set for February 10, 2025, and the foster mother's appeal will take place over two days starting from April 7. The crown prosecutor informed the court that the mother's appeal would take longer due to the extensive evidence that needed to be reviewed, including five days of hearings and multiple telephone intercepts.
The details of the case, including the names of the couple and other identifying information, have been heavily suppressed. The police's case against the couple was built upon more than 1000 hours of covert recordings made in their home and vehicles over a period of 14 months in 2020 and 2021. These recordings were part of the investigation into the disappearance of three-year-old William, who went missing while playing at his foster grandmother's home in Kendall, New South Wales, on September 12, 2014.
The police's inquiries into the foster mother's possible involvement in William's disappearance have been put on hold until the inquest into his suspected death resumes. The investigators had prepared a brief for prosecutors to consider potential charges against the woman, as they believed she may have disposed of William's body after his accidental death. The foster mother has continuously maintained her innocence and denied any involvement in William's disappearance. As of now, no one has been charged in the case, and the $1 million reward for information still stands.
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