Grieving dad pleads with the parole board 'Don't let my son's killer go free'

A FATHER whose life was shattered by the torture-death of his baby son has begged the parole board to block the killer's bid for freedom.

Cecil Smith

A FATHER whose life was shattered by the torture-death of his baby son has begged the parole board to block the killer's bid for freedom and keep him locked away for life.

Outraged Cecil Smith, 31, said ex-boxer Christopher Hoerler should rot in jail for taking the life of seven-month-old Jordan Anderson-Smith.

"A baby can't fight back. He couldn't even walk," said Mr Smith, trembling with emotion.

"People who steal cars have gotten longer. He should stay there the rest of his life."

Hoerler, 32, will face the State Parole Board hearing on Thursday after serving 10 years behind bars.

Jordan died on February 25, 2000 in Wagga Wagga, when he choked on his own vomit after he had been systematically tortured by Hoerler, the boyfriend of the baby's mother Louise Anderson.

Unemployed at the time of the attack, Hoerler was sentenced to a maximum 11 years in prison, which was later increased to 14 years on appeal by the chief prosecutor in 2004.

The trial found the baby was hit so hard his bottom teeth went through the roof of his mouth and his toes were crushed individually with the clamp of a desk fan. He had bruising and abrasions to his face and abdomen, fractured ribs, liver and bowel damage.

Mr Smith, who still lives in Wagga Wagga, said he went to the same school as Hoerler and once considered him a friend.

But prior to the attack, Mr Smith said he had raised concerns with the Department of Community Services over suspicions Hoerler was showering with his young son.

With the possibility of Hoerler's release, Mr Smith is forced to re-live dark memories.

"Now that it's all coming up again I get flashbacks and old feelings that I've tried to forget," he said.

"I can still see him in the pram and on the lounge. He was just a little bubbly baby, always giggling and playing.

"Why didn't he (Hoerler) pick on me? If he had something against me, why wasn't he man enough to do it?" Hoerler, who is serving his sentence in Cooma Correctional Centre, could be released as soon as July this year if his parole is successful.

But Cecil and his brother Darcy are desperate to prolong his release.

The family have sent letters to the parole board outlining reasons why Hoerler should remain in custody.

Mr Smith carries a photo in his wallet of Jordan and recalls his birth as "the best thing ever".

But he admits the tragedy has made him extra-protective of his 12-year-old daughter and six-year-old twin boys.

"I'm always protective now, as any parent would be," he said. "I make sure the windows and doors are locked every night.

"If Jordan was still here he would probably be out playing footy with his two younger brothers."