The children of a woman who was beaten to death in her own bedroom by her drug-addicted partner still say “I love you, mum” every day, her heartbroken family have revealed.
Police found the body of Synamin Bell, 26, at her home in Millicent, near Mount Gambier, South Australia, just after 11pm on March 12, 2022.
Mrs. Bell was beaten to death and her shattered skull was struck with a baseball bat, after which she was stabbed repeatedly.
Her new boyfriend at the time, Cody James Edwards, 27, was arrested at the scene.
Edwards recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter after previously pleading not guilty to murder.
At his trial in June, the murder charge was dismissed.
Heartbreaking victim impact statements written by Ms Bell’s loved ones were read out at a hearing at Mount Gambier Court on Thursday.
A statement from Bell’s mother Rosemary revealed that her grandchildren did not even understand what death meant when their mother was taken from them, and that they still say “I love you, Mom” out loud every day.
Police found the body of Synamin Bell, 26, (pictured centre) at her home in Millicent, near Mount Gambier, South Australia, just after 11pm on March 12, 2022
Cody Edwards (pictured) expressed remorse for his actions during an apology he read in court
Mrs Bell’s death had a terrible impact on her children, who were aged three, four and six at the time.
“(It was) heartbreaking to have to explain to them that their mother would never come back. Their little hearts were broken,” the grandmother said in a statement.
“The now eight-year-old son wakes up crying at night because he forgets what his mother’s voice sounds like.
‘The now six-year-old daughter doesn’t want to look in the mirror anymore, because everyone tells her that she looks like her mother. It hurts her too much to see herself and not her mother.
‘The youngest goes to her mother’s photo every day and tells her what it was like at school.’
The children were not home when their mother died.
The mother of three was beaten to death and her shattered skull was beaten with a baseball bat before she was stabbed repeatedly
Mrs. Bell’s mother spoke of how kind and caring her daughter was, who would soon be entering medical training to treat her daughter with a weakened immune system.
“The children will face many challenges growing up without their mother. No matter what we do, we cannot take away their loss,” she wrote.
“They got a life sentence for loss and grief and lost the most important person in their lives, but (the man who did that) is going to be out in a few years, how can that make sense?”
Judge Adam Kimber also heard emotional statements from Mrs Bell’s sister Brenda and close friend Oliver Thornley, the Adelaide Advertiser defeated.
Relatives urged Judge Kimber not to let Edwards off lightly by imposing a harsh sentence.
A victim impact statement written by Mrs Bell’s mother, Rosemary, revealed how her grandchildren still say ‘I love you, Mum’ out loud (pictured Synamin Bell)
Brenda said in her statement that the significance of her sister’s death should not be forgotten, even though the charges against her former lover have been reduced.
“My sister’s death was not only a tragic event, but a horrific act that has left lifelong trauma for our family,” her letter read.
Several of Ms. Bell’s family members waited outside the courtroom as Edwards read his apology to the court.
He expressed regret for his actions and said he would still be “haunted” by what he did to Ms Bell, who he said he loved.
Cody James Edwards struggled to answer detectives’ questions during his police interrogation
Footage from a police interrogation conducted after Edwards was arrested captured the moment he struggled to find words during questioning.
“Are you okay?” the concerned officer asked.
Edwards replied, “Am I okay? Yes.
A few moments later he realized the gravity of the situation.
“This is real, right?” “F***!”
Edwards was seen hitting his head on the table, hitting his head several times.
He will hear his sentence on Friday.