Brett Peter Cowan has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years for the murder of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe.
Daniel disappeared in Woombye on the Sunshine Coast on December 7, 2003 while waiting for a bus. Now, after nearly a decade, the nation’s biggest missing person case has come to a close.
After a five week trial where 116 witnesses and 218 exhibits tendered, a six-man, six-woman jury in Brisbane’s Supreme Court returned the unanimous guilty verdict to the courtroom. The jury deliberated for over seven hours before handing the verdict, and finally serving justice.
After the verdict, Daniel’s parents Bruce and Denise issued a statement saying, “On behalf of our entire family, we thank everyone who has contributed to finding the answers and especially for never forgetting Daniel. Thanks largely to the covert police involved and SES searchers plus scientific experts, a child killer has been exposed.”
Today, Cowan, a father of three, was sentenced to at least 20 years in jail by Queensland Supreme Court judge Roslyn Atkinson.
During the 20 minute sentencing, Justice Atkinson referred to Cowan’s conduct as “chilling and disgraceful”, going on to add, “Everything about what you did to that child is horrific and disgraceful.”
Justice Atkinson continued to issue warning to future parole board authorities that Cowan was a, “convincing and adaptable liar” and that any claim of rehabilitation must be seen in that light and that they should consider very carefully whether they should let him out in 20 years.
In Queensland, the mandatory minimum non-parole period is life imprisonment for murder, equivalent to 15 years, but Justice Atkinson said that Cowan deserved to serve 20 years in jail for murder before he was eligible for parole. She sentenced him to 3.5 years jail for indecent dealing and two years’ jail for interfering with a corpse. All sentences will be served concurrently.
Two years after Daniel was taken, his parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe set up the Daniel Morcombe Foundation Inc. (DMF) — a foundation committed to Keeping Kids Safe. The Foundation was established as a lasting legacy to Daniel and now has two main aims; to educate children on how to stay safe in a physical and online environment and to support young victims of crime. To find out how you can help, visit www.danielmorcombe.com.au
Image source: news.com.au
