On Wednesday the WA supreme court chief justice, Peter Quinlan, read out consent orders in favour of Terrance Flowers, a 27-year-old Nyamal man from the town of Karratha.
Terence Darrell Kelly - the man who admitted to kidnapping then four-year-old Cleo Smith and holding her captive for 18 days - told police "she was a bit of a fighter". The 37-year-old Carnarvon man was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison.
Terence Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty last year to taking Cleo Smith from her family's tent in October 2021. After a huge police search, Cleo was found alive 18 days later at Kelly's house, minutes from her own home. Kelly was arrested and later admitted child stealing in a case which attracted global attention.
Parents Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon have reportedly accepted a $2 million cheque from the Nine Network to tell their story of the events that unfolded over the course of 18 harrowing days and the efforts to find the four-year-old.
Terrance Flowers, who goes by his mother's last name of Kelly on Facebook, became the subject of a case of mistaken identity when the Kerry Stokes-owned media conglomerate incorrectly identified him as Cleo's abductor Terence Kelly.
His lawyers said Seven had significantly injured his character and reputation by misrepresenting him as the main suspect. In the rush after Cleo was found, the news organisation had taken four photos from Mr Flowers' Facebook account - where he used his mother's maiden name Kelly - without his consent.
Nine's exclusive tell-all with the family of Cleo Smith was conducted over video call – a fact that's raised eyebrows with some considering the network reportedly paid $2 million for the interview.
She also disclosed the four-year-old's hair had been cut and dyed by her abductor in a detail missed by many but noticed almost immediately by her parents. She said the little girl's abduction had been 'random' with Kelly first unzipping her side of the tent before walking around to Cleo's side and snatching her.
The anguished parents of Cleo Smith are having to contend with callous abuse on Facebook from online trolls, even though police say they are not suspects in her disappearance.
In an interview after Cleo's disappearance, Ellie said the girl had gone to bed in the family's tent at around 8 p.m., woke up early the next morning at 1:30 a.m. asking for water, and had returned to sleep after being given water.
After his arrest, Kelly told police he "roughed Cleo up a bit a few times" and became angry when Cleo got "bossy" asking for chocolate, but claimed he didn't want to hurt her and wanted to make sure she was "comfortable". He said Cleo cried often and that he had tried unsuccessfully to tie her up.
He ran away and ended up with foster parents near Lancaster, Pa. Their sister Cleo was also adopted by an American family.
Judge Wager acknowledged in sentencing that kidnapping Cleo formed part of Kelly's “fantasy of having a little girl he could dress up and play with.”
Terence Kelly was handed the lengthy sentence on Wednesday after admitting abducting Cleo, who was just four years old at the time, and holding her captive for 18 days. Cleo's mum, Ellie Smith, says “the anger always will be there” despite Kelly, 37, being locked up.
Cleo Smith was missing for eighteen days and was found by police in Kelly's Carnarvon home. Kelly, who's now aged 37, confessed to the crime. In the District Court in Perth he was sentenced to 13 years and six months in jail. He must serve at least 11 years and six months before he'll be eligible for release on parole.
Cleo Smith's biological father Daniel Staines has sp...
On Wednesday the WA supreme court chief justice, Peter Quinlan, read out consent orders in favour of Terrance Flowers, a 27-year-old Nyamal man from the town of Karratha.
A single ping to a phone tower, that was only built in 2018, led detectives to him 18 days after the four-year-old was snatched from the family tent at the Quobba Blowholes campsite on Western Australia's midwest coast, in October 2021.
The Sertori Family is Cleo's family. They are not very close but do love each other. In the start in the second season Don and Bev divorced with the girls broken up over it. In the third season Don gets remarried to Sam.
Deborah Coulls as Bev (series 1), Cleo and Kim's mother and Don's wife and then later ex-wife. They divorced prior to the events of series 2.
Cleo's parents got divorced later in season 1, and in season 3 her father develops a relationship and eventually marries a woman named Samantha Roberts.
After his arrest, Kelly told police officers that Cleo had cried when left alone and he had "roughed her up a few times", including smacking her for being bossy and asking for chocolate, but he insisted that he didn't want to severely hurt her.
Terence Kelly jailed for abducting Cleo Smith as court told of family's 'immeasurable' distress. Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, the man who abducted four-year-old Cleo Smith from her family's tent at a remote Western Australian campsite, has been sentenced to 13 years and six months in jail.
Cleo Smith Go Fund Me page raises $75,000 of $5000 goal as mum Ellie says thanks | 7NEWS.
“We are all absolutely overjoyed at the good news this morning and so happy that Cleo has been reunited with her mum and dad,” the typed statement, handed to the West Australian, read.