Murder trial: Mum of missing Chinchilla girl forced fed toddler faeces at knifepoint

The harrowing circumstances behind why a two-year-old Queensland girl was allegedly force-fed her excrement was heard in court during the murder and torture trial of her mother and stepdad.

Kaydence Mill's mother Sinitta Dawita and her boyfriend Tane Desatge have pleaded not guilty to murdering and torturing the little girl at their Chinchilla home in early 2017.

The harrowing circumstances behind why a two-year-old Queensland girl was allegedly force-fed her excrement was outlined in court during the trial of her mother and stepdad, charged with murder and torture, who were in a domestically violent relationship that “eclipsed every aspect” of their life.

The remains of the two-year-old Chinchilla girl, Kaydence Hazel Mills, were recovered at the Chinchilla Weir in March 2020 after a successful police operation resulted in the girl’s stepdad taking undercover investigators to her unmarked grave.

Kaydence had been in her mother’s care for less than seven months and had been missing for at least years before anyone raised the alarm.

Before a judge-only trial at the Toowoomba Supreme Court in July her mother, Sinitta Dawita, and her then-boyfriend Tane Desatge, pleaded not guilty to her murder and torture in early 2017 a few months after the family moved from Tully in North Queensland.

Crown prosecutor Michael Lehane said in the lead-up to Kaydence’s death, sometime between February and May, she was beaten with a wooden stick by Desatge and that Dawita hit the child with her hand.

A witness told the court the pair ostracised Kaydence from her siblings, and if the toddler left the house she had to be covered head to toe because she was covered in bruises.

Kaydence Dawita Mills.

Claims of abhorrent toilet training abuse

Mr Lehane alleged Kaydence, who was not fed proper food, was largely confined to a small tiled toilet room throughout the day and night, where she slept naked in her filth.

The court heard the little girl was not toilet trained and Desatge would allegedly hit her with bamboo stick when she had accidents.

On one occasion, the court heard when an enraged Desatge woke to find Kaydence had had an accident, he allegedly held Dawita at knifepoint and ordered her to spoonfeed Kaydence her faeces.

Desatge told undercover officers Kaydence died hours after falling down stairs and he urged Dawita to call an ambulance or take her to hospital.

Kaydence Mills' mother Sinitta Dawita, and her then-boyfriend Tane Desatge, pleaded not guilty to torturing and murdering the girl.

Phone tap exposes alleged abuse and death threats

Two intercepted phone calls Desatge allegedly made to Dawita from the Dalby watch-house on January 9, a month after investigators dug up their backyard looking for Kaydence, were played to the court.

The calls seemed to relate to Dawita, who was on a learner’s licence, not travelling the 81km from Chinchilla to Dalby.

“Oi you dead dying little ugly black motherf--ker looking monkey dog,” the voice message began.

“Stop lying to me you dirty sl-t.

“I will kill you when I get out motheref--ker, you wait.

Kaydence body was placed in an old shed in the back yard before it was moved.

“F--cking scumbag, you cold-hearted c--t, you couldn’t come and get me.”

Minutes later he called again and Dawita answered the phone.

“You like sucking c--k all night long don’t you, are you going to talk or what dog?”

Dawita responded, “I did nothing wrong”.

“F--k off! You did so you dog … I’ve got a woman right here … bullsh-t you f--king mutt,” Desatge yelled.

“I’m going to kill you when I get out c--t, true to god I will hunt you down and break your f--king neck b-tch, you wait. You don’t care about me you f--king never have.”

Dawita responded, “you please stop”.

“You f--king stop you sick c--t,” Desatge responded.

Homicide detectives at the Chinchilla Weir in early March 2020. Picture: Zoe Bell

“Looming cloud of domestic violence”

The court heard Dawita and Desatge’s on-and-off relationship was marred by domestic violence, as was Dawita’s relationship with Kaydence’s biological father.

Mr Lehane alleged Kaydence was tortured and killed because of the “supposed sins” of her father, and Desatge believed the man had him bashed in Cairns after he began dating Dawita in 2015.

Kaydence Mills and her mother Sinitta. Picture: File / Supplied

On day eight of the trial, Dawita’s barrister, David Jones KC, said domestic violence “eclipsed every aspect” of the pair’s life at the time of Kaydence’s death.

Mr Jones said countless people bore witness to Desatge’s abuse of Dawita, showing there was “hardly a break” in the “looming cloud” of the domestic violence she was subject to.

On day seven of the trial, Queensland Police Detective Sergeant Rodney Messer told the court Dawita was taken to hospital with minor injuries following a domestic violence incident in October 2017 – at least seven months after Kaydence’s death.

Sergeant Messer said an intoxicated Desatge said “I’ll break her f--king neck,” after he was informed she said her injuries were from punches to her face and kicks to her ribs.

Desatge was known to frequent pubs and pokie rooms through the week, the court heard.

Father of 11 Tane Desatge.

A brief drinking buddy of Desatge’s from Chinchilla, Codie Thorton, told the court he met Desatge at the Chinchilla RSL in late 2019, however he stopped talking to him because of the abusive language he used toward Dawita.

The investigation into Kaydence’s disappearance was underway at the time.

Mr Thorton said on one occasion Desatge was to stay at his property about 45km out of town, but he ended up driving him back to Chinchilla because he didn’t like how he spoke to Dawita over the phone.

Mr Thorton said during the abusive phone call he overheard him saying things like, “it wasn’t my fault”.

He said Desatge would become more argumentative and aggressive when he drank, and the way he spoke to Dawita “scared” him a little.

The last time Mr Thorton said he spoke to Desatge was at the Chinchilla Showgrounds where he told Desatge to “f--k off,” and not to talk to his partner that way.
The trial continues.

Originally published as Murder trial: Mum of missing Chinchilla girl forced fed toddler faeces at knifepoint