Tia Minhinnick jailed for 15 years for beating mother Angela Huata to death
A man believed his mum had mistreated his baby sister before he beat her to death in a prolonged assaulted in their Springvale home.
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A son who tortured and killed his mother in a “protracted” and “unremitting” attack will spend his young adulthood behind bars.
Tia Minhinnick was sentenced to 21 years in prison for murdering his mother, 41-year-old Angela Huata, at their Springvale home on February 10, 2022.
Minhinnick, aged 20 at the time, had a “highly conflictual” relationship with his mother, believing she had mistreated his baby sister prior to the fatal assault.
Fuelled by drugs and alcohol, Minhinnick savagely beat her in their living room and garage over 90 minutes.
Ms Huata, who had four other children, suffered 29 rib fractures, a punctured lung, lacerations across her body, burst ear drums and a brain injury.
Her lifeless body was found naked in her son’s bedroom, with Band-Aids and a bandage covering serious lacerations to her head and face.
Minhinnick was located by police four days after his mother’s murder.
He lied to police claiming he had no knowledge of her death.
His girlfriend at the time, Natalie Jensen, initially covered for Minhinnick and was later charged with perjury.
Supreme Court Justice Richard Niall on Monday described the attack on Ms Huata as “protracted, extremely violent and unremitting”.
“The extent of the injuries reveals the shocking brutality of your conduct,” Justice Niall said.
Justice Niall said Minhinnick would spend his young adult years behind bars to pay for his crime.
“The sentence I must impose on you as a young man, will mean that a very large proportion of your 20s and 30s will be spent in prison, and is a very heavy sentence,” Justice Niall said.
“They are important decades in most lives and to spend them in prison with all the loss of freedoms and liberties that this entails is a very significant punishment.”
Minhinnick will be eligible for parole after serving at least 15 years in prison.
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