<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Paranoid beliefs of covert </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="" title="police"><span>police</span></a><span> surveillance and fears that his son would be taken away led a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/drugs" rel="" target="" title="drug"><span>drug</span></a><span>-abusing father to brutally </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/murder" rel="" target="" title="murder"><span>murder</span></a><span> his three-year-old.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 48-year-old took the child into the bathroom of his aunt's Sydney apartment in May 2023, one-and-a-half hours after learning his partner had made a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/domestic-violence" rel="" target="" title="domestic violence"><span>domestic violence</span></a><span> complaint to police about him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Having to unlock the door of the bathroom with a butter knife, his aunt found the pair lying in a pool of blood in an attempted murder-</span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/suicide" rel="" target="" title="suicide"><span>suicide</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-security-payments-pension-rent-assistance-jobseeker-abstudy-and-parenting-increases-march-20/43bc3837-3abd-4ade-abd3-c95c563f33f9" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>More than five million Aussies to receive cash boost from today</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The boy, who was three years and nine months old, could not be revived.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a phone call from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jail" rel="" target="" title="jail"><span>jail</span></a><span> after his arrest, the man told his partner he "did himself" first and then asked his son what colour he saw.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The boy said red," he said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/father-asked-if-son-wanted-to-be-red-before-murder/b92da539-eb8b-4969-815c-76ab16916484" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Do you want to be red too? (He) said 'yes' and then I did it," he told his partner.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 48-year-old also told prison staff he had killed his son because he wanted them to become two ghosts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The man, whom AAP has chosen not to name to protect the victim's identity, was jailed for up to 28-and-a-half years in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday after pleading guilty to murder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Paul McGuire imposed a non-parole period of 18 and a half years, expiring on November 30, 2041.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"By killing his own infant, the offender has perversely and egregiously breached the trust, protection and love that (the boy) deserved," he said on Friday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-20-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/18fc26c3-7b96-4e44-859e-cfb9ccb3f31d" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The telltale sign Aussies are in for a world of pain</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The boy's biological mother died of natural causes in April 2021.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The father recommenced a relationship with his ex-girlfriend six months later and soon started using methylamphetamine.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The couple had previously split in 2014 over his violent behaviour and drug use.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Days before the murder, he accused his partner of infidelity, smashing her phone and assaulting her in the bathroom of his home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also expressed delusions that police were watching him, including thinking two loss prevention officers at a supermarket were police in disguise.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unable to contact his mother, he abandoned his home west of Sydney, taking his partner and son to his aunt's apartment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While he was out looking for a place to live, his girlfriend packed her bags and left, calling police to make the domestic violence complaint.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After his arrest while in hospital, he told staff he knew he would be arrested but had no family members to help take care of his son.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said he tried to kill himself and his son so that the Department of Family and Community Services would not put the child into foster care.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/tropical-cyclone-narelle-live-updates-tracker-queensland-latest-news-headlines/863bc4e8-cea0-4cc6-b19d-be2cbab60902" target="_blank"><strong><span>Narelle bears down on coast with 'very destructive' 285km/h wind gusts</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Friday, Justice McGuire found the man was experiencing bizarre beliefs spurred by paranoia that his son was better off dead than being cared for by someone else.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The man had only made very limited expressions of contrition and remorse.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Recent claims to a forensic psychiatrist that he heard voices telling him to "kill everything he loved" at the time of the murder were inconsistent with statements made to police and hospital staff soon after, the judge noted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice McGuire reduced the non-parole period, however, after finding the man's time in custody would be more onerous because of his mental illness.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was also likely to spend it in protective custody because of the nature of his crime.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The judge expressed his condolences to the boy's family, noting the impact of the murder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The child's grandparents described the man's behaviour as horrific and selfish, while his sister could not comprehend his cruel and heartless actions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-20-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/18fc26c3-7b96-4e44-859e-cfb9ccb3f31d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump drops Pearl Harbour reference in meeting with Japanese PM</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Support is available from the</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>at</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/" title="https://www.1800respect.org.au/"><strong><span>1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" 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