WARNING: Post contains graphic images of an injured infant.
Coby Walther was just six months old when his babysitter almost killed him, leaving him with serious brain damage and a life-long disability instead.
The little boy from Ambarvale, NSW was in the care of his aunt Jessica Miles and her boyfriend Adam Boardman one night in May 2010 when he sustained the horrific injuries that profoundly impacted his and his family’s lives.
In a fit of rage, Boardman shook the baby – eventually admitting to the assault after police questioning.
Coby's mum Sian Regal is still pained by memories of walking in the next morning to find her son bruised and unresponsive.
"I walked in and Sean's sister was holding Coby in her arms, like, in front of her, limp... he couldn't breathe properly," she told Channel Nine's A Current Affair in an interview that aired on Wednesday.
Once in hospital, Sian didn't know if her son was going to survive.
"A nurse had told me that Coby was going to die. I just broke down... I couldn't fathom the thought of losing my son at all."
Coby did survive, but only with severe brain damage causing an intellectual disability. Coupled with his cerebral palsy, the little boy requires a high level of medical care.
As Sian put it, Boardman ruined his life.
"He's ruined a child's life. He's ruined a whole family's life and he just gets away with it," she told ACA.
Boardman was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to Coby and sentenced to 10 years jail. However, Sian has learned he's about to be released on parole after serving six years behind bars.
"Six years is nothing. Six years. What's six years?" she said, adding he hasn't "done his time" for the crime.
"His time would be a lifetime because they don't understand what Coby goes through every day - every single day.
"Coby's got a life sentence."
Sian said she wanted to highlight how easily violent offenders like Boardman can go unrecognised once they're free.
The family started a GoFundMe page for Coby in 2014 - which is still active - to help with Coby's medical bills and associated costs. You can donate here.
Top Comments
6 years seeems adequate. The guy most likely is not an animal and lives with self hate and regret which will haunt him forever.
I met a man through work who killed his friends drink driving. He's in his 50's now and has nothing. Depression, guilt and loneliness.
Make no mistake this with haunt this man and punish him forever wether behind bars or not.
Sentencing in Australia is woeful. A man in Tasmania was recently sentenced to 2 and half years for systematically beating and throwing his newborn son, resulting in his death. The abuse started in the hospital, hours after he was born, with his mother leaving the room and coming back in to find his father choking the baby and throwing him down on the bed. She said nothing to hospital staff, although the incident was reported, child services did diddly squat (nurses had expressed concerns before the baby was even born, nothing done). This man continued to abuse the baby boy at home until he died 45 days later. He served 18 months and is out of prison.
That is sickening.
Have they released said name of this man? I'm thinking, probably not, lest it possibly impinge on the poor baby torturer-murderer's right to privacy.
I saw that one (the name is readily available TMM had you just looked).
Only 2.5 years because they couldn't prove who inflicted the fatal injuries! Disgraceful.
On the other hand i found another, similar one. There the guy got 23.5 years, so hopefully that sets the minimum sentence in the future!
How the frickety frak is that possible? What kind of sympathies was the guy pulling to be able to get off with a sentence that light?!