Cleo Smith’s mother says she will always feel “anger” towards her daughter’s kidnapper after he is sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison.
Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, was sentenced in WA district court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to one charge last year of forcibly taking a child under the age of 16.
Kelly abducted the four-year-old while sleeping with her family at the Blowholes campsite, near Carnarvon, about 600 miles north of Perth, on Oct. 16, 2021.
She was held at his home in Carnarvon for 18 days before police raided it.
“I think the anger will always be there,” Cleo’s mother, Ellie Smith, told 60 Minutes shortly after Kelly’s sentence was handed down.
Cleo Smith’s mother, Ellie Smith (pictured left with partner Jake Gliddon in the centre), says she will always feel ‘anger’ towards her daughter’s kidnapper after he is sentenced to 13 years and six months behind bars
Four-year-old Cleo Smith (pictured) was abducted by Terence Kelly on October 16, 2021 at a campsite near Carnarvon, about 600 miles north of Perth.
However, she added that she and her partner Jake Gliddon are “also happy he’s behind bars, he’s been convicted.”
“And we have a number to keep track of how long he’s gone.”
“But there will always be anger, always—how can there not be?” she added.
Cleo’s parents made a surprise appearance at the sentencing to watch justice being served.
It was the first time the pair had been seen since being interviewed by 60 Minutes last year. They were reportedly paid $2 million for the worldwide exclusive television interview.
The couple left WA court without saying a word to the media. Camera crews followed the couple as they left the courthouse after the emotional ordeal.
Ms. Smith, wearing a burgundy shirt, black slacks and sunglasses, held her phone and water bottle as she paced to a waiting car.
Mr Gliddon followed closely in a light blue button-up shirt, black slacks, shoes and sunglasses.
The couple left WA court without saying a word after Kelly’s sentence was handed down
Ms Smith, who wore a burgundy shirt, black trousers and sunglasses, avoided eye contact as she left the courthouse
While the pair chose to remain tight-lipped at first, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch convicted the kidnapper, suggesting that the 13-year sentence was not long enough.
‘At the beginning of my career I spoke to a father of a victim of a serious crime. And he said to me: as a father, a million years is not enough and that is driven by emotion – and as a father, I understand that,’ he said.
And I would expect that the community would never think that 13-and-a-half years is enough.
“But Judge (Julie) Wager had to weigh a lot of things, and there were a lot of extenuating circumstances and I respect the court’s decision.”
He added that the investigation to track down and rescue Cleo was the “gold standard” for such an operation.
“This is a malicious crime. He has committed a heinous crime. A parent’s worst nightmare. As I said before, I am a police commissioner and I respect the rule of law, but as a father I could never forgive that,” he said at a press conference.
“We don’t want these crimes in Western Australia. This is a heinous crime, an evil crime.’
Terence Darrell Kelly (pictured center) was sentenced to 13 and a half years on Wednesday
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch (pictured) criticized Kelly’s “evil” crimes after conviction and praised the police’s tireless efforts to find Cleo
Commissioner Blanch described the investigation as ‘the biggest story in the history of Western Australian Police’.
“The importance of that investigation is what culminated today in bringing the perpetrator of those vicious crimes to justice.”
He also delivered a personal message to Cleo: “We owe you your privacy, we owe it to you to grow up and make your dreams come true. So on behalf of all of us, it’s time we gave you the space to do that.’
Commissioner Blanch said he hadn’t had any contact with Cleo’s parents, Ellie and Jake, on Wednesday – nor did he intend to any time soon.
“My concern for the family today would have been a very emotional time I think they have enough to deal with as it is now it’s been over 500 days since the incident my time and the time of the police is to leave them alone.’
Commissioner Blanch delivered a personal message to Cleo, saying, “We owe you your privacy, we owe it to you to grow up and make your dreams come true.” So from all of us, it’s about time we gave you the space to do that’
Kelly, who sat quietly in the dock wearing a green shirt, is eligible for parole after serving 11 years and six months in prison.
His sentence runs back to his arrest in November 2021, and he had served up to 20 years behind bars.
Kelly will be 48 by the time he is eligible for parole in May 2032.
Judge Wager described the anguish, suffering and trauma inflicted on Cleo and her parents as “immeasurable.”
“Eighteen days with no contact or explanation, and with hours completely alone and with no access to the outside world, would have been very traumatic,” she said.
“In a four-year-old’s world, one day is very long. In a four-year-old’s world, 18 days is a very long time indeed.’