Cackling babysitter Mandy Martyn denies killing toddler Daniel Thomas, gives reporters a spray
A BABYSITTER branded a child killer by a coroner has cackled when asked if she murdered toddler Daniel Thomas, before lashing out at reporters.
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THE babysitter found by a coroner to have killed toddler Daniel Thomas refuses to admit she took his life.
Mandy Martyn told the Herald Sun to "f--- off" and hurled a bottle of water at the journalist and photographer when approached as she left Wangaratta Court this afternoon.
The Herald Sun cannot detail why she was at court for legal reasons.
When asked if she killed Daniel, Ms Martyn cackled to herself while trying to hide under the hood of her pink and purple striped jacket. "Hey, this is a public place, f--- off," she said.
INQUEST: CORONER FINDS BABYSITTER KILLED DANIEL
She then escaped into the Centrelink office next door where she snuck out the back door and jumped into a car, believed to be driven by her daughter.
It comes just two weeks after Coroner Jacinta Heffey delivered a damning finding into the 2003 death, saying Ms Martyn killed Daniel and his mother Donna Thomas contributed to his death because she failed to protect him.
The Herald Sun today struggled to find anyone in her community who could say a good word about her.
One man even helped the media who were trying to interview her by pointing out the direction she ran.
A police source described her as “a horrible, horrible woman”.
Ms Martyn had not shown up at the inquest into Daniel’s death.
She has not been charged with his death.
But the Herald Sun can reveal she will face Wodonga Magistrates Court next month, following a series of offences over three months from April to May.
Benalla Police have charged her with intentionally cause injury and make threat to kill, plus two counts of unlawful assault and two counts of behave in ab offensive manner in a public place.
Handing down her finding on Daniel’s horrific death, Coroner Heffey told how the last weeks of Daniel’s life in Myrtleford were appalling.
“From September 2003, when his mother took him to live with Ms Martyn until his death seven weeks later, Daniel was exposed to cruelty amounting to torture,” Ms Heffey found.
Before his death, the two-year-old had been subjected to cold baths, punished by being made to lie in a starfish position, gagged, bound locked in a cupboard, beaten and repeatedly abused.
Ms Heffey said Daniel died on or about October 13, 2003, as a result of injuries inflicted by Ms Martin, and Ms Thomas had contributed because of “her inaction and failure to protect her son”.
Ms Martyn was baby sitting Daniel Thomas when she reported him missing October 17.
Ms Heffey said over the following days that Ms Martyn gave police at least three different version of events in relation to his disappearance. Daniel’s body was not found until March 2008, when dogs discovered bones buried beneath Ms Thomas’ former home, but an exact cause of death could be determined.
“He may have died from strangulation, drowning or closed head injury,” Ms Heffey said.
Ms Martyn told at least three people that she had disposed of the body, but falsely claimed Ms Thomas had strangled her son to death.
Noone has been charged over his death.
But following the Coroner's finding, Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey confirmed police were now reviewing the evidence and a police investigation was “active”.