NEWBORN Azzali Dolcie-Marie Thomson never had a chance. The infant died in hospital at 5.37pm on February 6, 2014 after her life support was withdrawn for the horrific injuries inflicted upon her by her own ice addict father. She was nine weeks and six days old, having already lived the first half of her life in hospital with breathing difficulties. When Azzali was finally allowed home to begin living at Deloraine on December 30, 2013, she had a nasogastric tube to help her feed and was completely dependent upon her parents. But her father Brett Andrew Kitchin, now 28, had an inability to cope with fatherhood and used shocking physical violence upon Azzali when she cried and was unable to feed. He bounced her roughly in her bouncer, threw her up in the air and caught her like a plaything, and severely pinched her body in numerous places until she bruised. Kitchin also squeezed Azzali's chest with such significant force that he broke four of her ribs, a very difficult injury to inflict upon a child so young. Azzali continued to suffer this abuse at the hands of her father until the day he murdered her. On Friday in the Supreme Court in Launceston, Kitchin pleaded guilty to his daughter's murder and the ill-treatment of her. The bald Kitchin, an imposing figure, sat in the dock with an indifferent expression on his face. Kitchin and his partner had taken their daughter to the Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department at 1.20pm on February 2, 2014. Azzali was semiconscious and unresponsive. She had extensive bleeding to the brain, multiple bruises and six broken ribs - which were initially missed in a CT scan because the fractures were too new - among other critical injuries. Kitchin's excuse for Azzali's injuries was that he had "banged her" when getting out of the car with her one day. Azzali was transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital but medical intervention was unable to save her and she died 38 days after she first arrived home. The post-mortem examination concluded Azzali had died from injuries consistent with having been shaken. On February 10, 2014, Kitchin told police he had done nothing to harm her, but he would get angry and scream in her face when she could not feed. He confessed to Azzali's murder to police in early August 2014, but pleaded not guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court later that month. Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC handed up a victim impact statement from Azzali's mother, now 24, and said she had suffered immensely. Defence counsel Fran McCracken, in her plea in mitigation, said Kitchin and his partner had celebrated the homecoming of Azzali on December 30, 2013, by using ice together. Ms McCracken said her client was a regular ice user and on February 2, 2014, he was "coming down" from using the drug about 36 hours earlier. She said Kitchin had been handed a life sentence beyond any punishment a court could give. Justice Helen Wood adjourned sentencing to October 8 at 2.15pm.
NEWBORN Azzali Dolcie-Marie Thomson never had a chance.
The infant died in hospital at 5.37pm on February 6, 2014 after her life support was withdrawn for the horrific injuries inflicted upon her by her own ice addict father.
She was nine weeks and six days old, having already lived the first half of her life in hospital with breathing difficulties.
When Azzali was finally allowed home to begin living at Deloraine on December 30, 2013, she had a nasogastric tube to help her feed and was completely dependent upon her parents.
But her father Brett Andrew Kitchin, now 28, had an inability to cope with fatherhood and used shocking physical violence upon Azzali when she cried and was unable to feed.
He bounced her roughly in her bouncer, threw her up in the air and caught her like a plaything, and severely pinched her body in numerous places until she bruised.
Kitchin also squeezed Azzali's chest with such significant force that he broke four of her ribs, a very difficult injury to inflict upon a child so young.
Azzali continued to suffer this abuse at the hands of her father until the day he murdered her.
On Friday in the Supreme Court in Launceston, Kitchin pleaded guilty to his daughter's murder and the ill-treatment of her.
The bald Kitchin, an imposing figure, sat in the dock with an indifferent expression on his face.
Kitchin and his partner had taken their daughter to the Launceston General Hospital Emergency Department at 1.20pm on February 2, 2014.
Azzali was semiconscious and unresponsive.
She had extensive bleeding to the brain, multiple bruises and six broken ribs - which were initially missed in a CT scan because the fractures were too new - among other critical injuries.
Kitchin's excuse for Azzali's injuries was that he had "banged her" when getting out of the car with her one day.
Azzali was transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital but medical intervention was unable to save her and she died 38 days after she first arrived home.
The post-mortem examination concluded Azzali had died from injuries consistent with having been shaken.
On February 10, 2014, Kitchin told police he had done nothing to harm her, but he would get angry and scream in her face when she could not feed.
He confessed to Azzali's murder to police in early August 2014, but pleaded not guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court later that month.
Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC handed up a victim impact statement from Azzali's mother, now 24, and said she had suffered immensely.
Defence counsel Fran McCracken, in her plea in mitigation, said Kitchin and his partner had celebrated the homecoming of Azzali on December 30, 2013, by using ice together.
Ms McCracken said her client was a regular ice user and on February 2, 2014, he was "coming down" from using the drug about 36 hours earlier.
She said Kitchin had been handed a life sentence beyond any punishment a court could give.
Justice Helen Wood adjourned sentencing to October 8 at 2.15pm.
