A Queensland man whose "systematic and persistent" torture of a defenceless newborn led to her death has been jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Baby Paige was only 31 days old when she died from blunt force trauma in September 2012 after suffering almost a lifetime of "gratuitous" violence at the hands of her mother's partner Michael John Humphreys.
There weren't many parts of Paige's body that weren't injured, Justice David Boddice said on Friday.
The Brisbane Supreme Court heard she had endured repeated blows to the back of her head, a blunt object had been forced into her mouth like a finger or pacifier, her limbs had been either twisted or shaken and a handprint-shaped bruise was found on her spine.
"It is inconceivable that one human being could do that to a baby of that age," Justice Boddice said.
"It is more than inconceivable that a person in a position of trust and a position of care could do that to a defenceless baby.
"There is no doubt that the offence is properly to be described as callous, cruel, calculated, deliberate and inexcusable."
Despite this Justice Boddice found a jail sentence of 10 years was "not justified".
"I do not doubt that you now seriously regret your conduct," he said.
The court heard Humphreys, who pleaded guilty late last year to a downgraded charge of manslaughter, had a "disturbing" criminal history and was using cannabis and ice at the time he killed Paige.
The 31-year-old also believed he suffered from brain damage after being kicked in the head by a horse as a young child.
Paige's mother Sarah Mooney told the court she lived in constant fear of Humphreys, who originally lied that other people had harmed and killed the baby.
"We have been living in a never-ending nightmare," Ms Mooney said.
Humphreys must serve just over seven years of his sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2021 given time already spent in custody.
AAP