Dad made chilling threat two months before murdering 4-year-old daughter (Melbourne, Australia)

Those of us who have followed this case carefully already knew that this murder had nothing to do with "mental impairment" or a lack of respect for daddies in the family court system. ARTHUR FREEMAN was a controlling, vindictive bastard who murdered his own daughter just to get revenge against his ex-wife for leaving his sorry @$$. Period.

http://www.news.com.au/national/west-gate-bridge-tragedy-arthur-freeman-guilty-of-murdering-daughter-darcey/story-e6frfkvr-1226029705102

Arthur Freeman made chilling threat two months before murdering Darcey By Paul Anderson
From: Herald Sun March 29, 2011 12:00AM Herald Sun 28 March 2011

THE man found guilty of murdering his daughter by throwing her off a bridge said his ex-wife would "regret it" if he ever lost custody of his children.

A close family source - who has asked not to be named for professional reasons - has told the Herald Sun of a conversation in which Arthur Freeman issued the veiled threat.

The relative said it was uttered at an early family Christmas party at Freeman's parents' home at Aireys Inlet in late November 2008 - about two months before little Darcey Freeman was thrown from the bridge.

"Arthur and I were discussing things about the custody of the children," the close relative said.

"During this conversation Arthur said that 'she (ex-wife Peta Barnes) would regret it' if he lost custody of the children.

"That comment has gone through my head over and over. I thought he'd go after Peta - by that I mean making her life hard through legal channels.

"He loved the kids."

The Herald Sun believes police were made aware of the comments during the latter stages of Freeman's murder trial.

After five days of deliberation, a jury yesterday found Freeman, 37, guilty of murdering four-year-old Darcey by throwing her from the West Gate Bridge on the morning of January 29, 2009.

Freeman had pleaded not guilty on the ground of mental impairment.

The prosecution said he deliberately and consciously killed Darcey.

The day before he murdered his daughter, orders were made in the Family Court, by consent, to reduce the number of days he had custody access to his three children - Ben, 6, Jack 2, and Darcey.

Of the custody dispute, Freeman's relative told the Herald Sun: "It was like he started to feel like he had no control over anything. It frustrated him to no end."

On the morning of Darcey's death, Freeman had spoken to Ms Barnes on the phone and told her to say goodbye to her children.

"You'll never see your children again," he said.

Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert, SC, said those threats showed Freeman "knew the nature and quality of what he was about to do".

"We are perhaps indeed fortunate that he didn't throw all three children over the bridge," Mr Silbert told the jury.

Darcey's maternal relatives sat through the entire two-week trial.

Ms Barnes did not comment as she left the court.

Freeman's parents, Peter and Norma, also said nothing as they left the court.

The Freeman family source said, "They are very emotional at the moment, understandably. They are quite placid people."

Arthur Freeman was driving his children back to Melbourne from his parents' home when he stopped in the emergency lane on the bridge, put his hazard lights on and asked Darcey to move into the front seat.

He then carried her and threw her over the railing.

It was supposed to be Darcey's first day of school. In the car as they were driving away, young Ben told his father: "Go back and get her . . . Darcey can't swim."

In his closing, defence counsel David Brustman, SC, said his client's "head was simply elsewhere" when he committed the horrific crime.

Six psychiatrists assessed Freeman. Only one supported his mental impairment defence. He believed Freeman was suffering a "major depressive disorder" and was in a "dissociative state" - like a sleep walker.

Of the five expert psychiatrists who did not support the defence, one told the jury Darcey's death fitted a "spousal revenge" classification.

A pre-sentence plea hearing is expected on Friday and Justice Paul Coghlan plans to sentence Freeman before Easter.