A former high-paid Brisbane mining executive has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his six-year-old daughter in her bedroom in September 2015.
Stephen Playford, 55, smothered his daughter Sidney with a cushion in a murder-suicide plan, because of personal and financial despair.
The father-of-two then drove to the Gold Coast hinterland and tried to take his own life.
Sidney’s body was discovered by her mother.
Prosecutor Michael Lehane said Playford resigned from a mining executive role in early 2014 and refused to find a lower paid job or apply for Centrelink support.
“The family was now essentially living beyond their means,” he said.
The court heard, Playford’s wife wanted a divorce in March 2015 but agreed to stay with him for the sake of their children. [Read Full Article]