Horrifying Details Revealed As Man Who Used ‘Brute Force’ When He Caused Death Of Nine-Week-Old Baby By Violently Shaking Child Is Jailed
- Teavae Bryce Vaevae convicted of manslaughter
- Baby Kaison was in his care in June 2021
A man who used ‘brutal force’ when he shook a nine-week-old baby in his care so hard that the child died has been sentenced to nine and a half years behind bars.
Kaison Vaevae died of his injuries three days after Teavae Bryce Vaevae, then 22, shook him on June 6, 2021 before claiming the child had fallen off a bed.
A court in Cairns heard this week that the baby’s mother, Rawinia Inez Te Mona, had argued with Vaevae days earlier and that the couple would split.
“It was an episode where you lost control, handled him roughly and shook him with considerable force,” Judge Henry told Vaevae in court, reports The Cairns Post.
“Your lack of candor about the brute force you used prevents me from accepting the allegation of remorse,” he added.
Kaison Vaevae sadly died of brain swelling after being shaken by Teavae Bryce Vaevae
Kaison’s mother was in hospital after complications from a cesarean section when she was told the child had fallen off a bed
Vaevae previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in September 2022.
The court previously heard that the child’s injuries were “catastrophic” and included fractures to the limbs, bones, ribs and spine, as well as brain swelling that caused his death from an obstruction of oxygen supply.
Ms. Te Mona was in hospital after suffering complications following a cesarean section to deliver Kaison when she was told the baby had been injured by falling off a bed.
She previously told a court that Kaison had cried a lot, but that Teavae was “patient.”
Melia Karaka, the child’s grandmother, and her two sisters Shannon and Taveeshay Te Mona attended the sentencing hearing with Ms Te Mona.
Kaison tissue samples held by the coroner until criminal proceedings are resolved will be released to the family and buried in a traditional Māori burial.
“With the consent of the senior next of kin, in close cooperation with the coronal advisors of the Forensic and Scientific Service, certain prescribed tissue has been preserved for forensic purposes,” a spokesperson told the newspaper.
A conviction has been recorded for Vaevae, who will be eligible for parole on January 28, 2027.