Kiesha Wieppeart’s stepfather Robert Smith admits to her manslaughter

kiesha

Murdered … Kiesha Wieppeart.
Source: The Daily Telegraph





NEARLY 18 months after Kiesha Weippeart’s short life came to a violent and tragic end, her stepfather yesterday admitted to her manslaughter.


Robert Smith was a dishevelled and weary figure when he appeared via videolink at Penrith Local Court to plead guilty to Kiesha’s manslaughter and to being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Magistrate David Day heard the murder charge against 32-year-old Smith was to be formally withdrawn.

Court documents said Smith “unlawfully killed” his stepdaughter on July 13, 2010 – more than two weeks before the little girl was reported missing by him and her mother Kristi Abrahams.

He also admitted to “receiving, harbouring … and assisting” Abrahams in the murder “at Mt Druitt and other places in Sydney” between July 13 and April 21 this year.

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The couple was arrested near where Kiesha’s remains were found in bushland in Shalvey, western Sydney, on April 22 – what would have been her seventh birthday – and charged with murder.

Police allege the little girl, whose name has been changed from Abrahams to Weippeart on court documents, was killed at home and her body then buried in bushland.

It is believed Smith’s charges were downgraded as part of ongoing negotiations in the case, which has involved seven Local Court appearances.

Smith faces up to 25 years in jail after pleading guilty to the two charges, and has been formally refused bail.

His case has now moved to the Supreme Court and a date for his sentencing hearing will be set on February 3.

Kristi Abrahams chose not to appear via videolink when her case was mentioned briefly.

She will appear in Penrith Local Court in March.

A group of residents from the Hebersham area, where Kiesha spent her last months, attended Smith’s court appearance yesterday, including former family friend Alison Anderson.

Smith’s brother Jason was at court yesterday to see his brother, dressed in prison greens, appear on the video screen but didn’t comment afterwards.

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