Nikki Francis-Coslovich: Mother violently threw daughter against bedhead, court hears

By David Sparkes

Lawyers for the man accused of murdering Mildura toddler Nikki Francis-Coslovich have told his trial the child’s mother called her a “f***ing little cow” before throwing her violently against a bedhead.

John Clifford Torney, 32, has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court in Victoria to killing the two-and-a-half-year-old who’s body was found in the ceiling of the family home.

He claimed it was Peta-Ann Francis, his former de facto wife and the little girl’s mother, who fatally bashed the child on August 25, 2015.

Ms Francis is not charged with any crime and on Wednesday came under intense cross-examination when she gave evidence for a second day.

Defence lawyer Julie Condon highlighted inaccuracies in Ms Francis’ statement to police and claimed she had tried to cover up her role in the crime.

Ms Francis admitted to making significantly inaccurate statements to police but said she was in shock.

“I was still trying to piece it all together at the time,” she said.

Mother went too far, defence claims

Ms Condon told the jury Ms Francis was angry with her daughter on the morning of the crime, and told Torney “I’m not f***ing dealing with this today, I’m sick of her sookiness”.

She claimed Ms Francis asked Torney “How’s the little cow going?” and later locked the child in her room.

Ms Condon alleged Ms Francis went into the bedroom, bashed her daughter and violently threw her against a bedhead.

She said Ms Francis then saw Torney in the hallway and told him she had “gone too far with Nikki”, who was no longer breathing.

It was alleged she instructed the accused to hide the body while she drove to a prawn broker.

The toddler’s body was found by police in the roof cavity of the home that afternoon.

Ms Francis rejected all of the accusations put to her by the defence and told the court she had no idea her daughter had been bashed until later that night.

Prosecutors previously alleged Torney beat the girl in frustration and later hid her body in the ceiling while Ms Francis was out running errands.

The accused maintained his de facto asasulted her daughter while he was in the toilet and told him to hide the body.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.

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