EXCLUSIVE: Paige's 31 days of hell: Mother of baby tortured and killed by her own FATHER says he was 'jealous' of the attention - but blames herself after 'missing the warning signs'
- Paige Humphreys was killed by her father Michael John Humphreys in 2012
- Humphreys has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years jail
- Paige's mother Sarah Mooney has hit back at the sentence and online bullies
- She says people are blaming her for Paige's death but she was a victim too
- She claims her partner was 'jealous' of Paige 'because she took all the attention'
The mother of a baby girl who was tortured and killed by her own father has revealed how she 'failed to look after her baby' because she didn't realise her partner had 'turned into a monster'.
Sarah Mooney, 26, has opened up about the death and torture of her 31-day-old baby Paige at home in Gympie, Queensland in a tell-all interview with Daily Mail Australia just one week after her ex-partner was jailed for the horrific crime.
The devastated mother has spoken out about how she 'missed the warning signs' and if she had her time over again, knowing what she does now she would be able to 'save her beautiful ''bubba girl'''.
Paige Ella Rose Humphreys was killed by her father when she was 31-days-old
Michael John Humphreys killed his daughter in September 2012, amid claims he was 'jealous of the attention the newborn was getting from her mother and couldn't handle her screaming'
Paige Humphreys was killed by Michael John Humphreys in September 2012 – on Friday the 31-year-old was sentenced to nine years behind bars after a judge found he had 'tortured baby Paige for most of her young life'.
Disgusted with the length of the sentence, as well as the constant abuse hurled in her direction by strangers online, Ms Mooney has decided to speak out about how she lost her power.
'I can't even comprehend how taking my baby's life is only worth nine years in jail,' she said.
'A life should mean life – at the very least I think he should have been sentenced to ten years jail for every one of the 31 days the court found he made my baby suffer.
'Even then it wouldn't be enough – we need capital punishment for child killers and paedophiles.'
The young mother was just 22 when Paige died and it wasn't until six weeks later she found out authorities suspected foul play. At first, she thought her baby died from cot death.
But the moment police sat her down to tell her about Paige's horrific internal injuries Ms Mooney realised she had missed the warning signs and knew who was responsible.
Sarah Mooney, pictured, thought the baby died from cot death until six weeks later when police detailed her devastating injuries
She told Daily Mail Australia Humphreys was 'excited to become a father' and had been the one to suggest having a child together.
But she claims that after she fell pregnant he started to control her life – isolating her from her friends and family and taking control of their finances.
'It started emotionally, he would swear at my kids and yell at me,' Ms Mooney said.
What started out as excitement to become a father spiralled quickly into resentment for the life growing inside Ms Mooney – and the two children she already had.
'He was upset because the baby was taking too much of my attention,' Ms Mooney claimed.
'He would say I didn't love him as much as I loved the children – and that they were taking up too much time.'
The emotional outbursts continued to increase, he would scream at the two young children daily but 'never touched them' according to Ms Mooney.
Paige has been remembered by her family as a bright baby who loved the sound of her brother's voice and snuggling with teddy bears
Then one day shortly before Paige was born, Ms Mooney claims Humphreys' emotional outbursts turned physical.
'He pushed me against the bench when I was 37 weeks pregnant – that was the first time he touched me,' she claimed.
'But then he calmed down, like he did with his emotional outbursts, and I just made excuses for him.'
Humphreys' alleged aggressive attitude toward Paige started just four days after she came home from the hospital.
Ms Mooney delivered her via c-section so her energy levels were low, she was on bed rest and her new baby was her priority.
'He was annoyed I was taking more care of Paige than I was of him,' Ms Mooney said.
'He would wake up in the middle of the night and I would be asleep on the recliner after getting up to feed her, this would make him upset.
'A few days after I brought her home he lost his temper and started swearing at her all the time.
'He would just snap because he couldn't handle her screaming.'
When Paige was two weeks old Ms Mooney found a bump behind her ear – but was satisfied when Humphreys explained it was 'just an accident'.
Ms Mooney told Daily Mail Australia her partner's change in attitude started after she fell pregnant with Paige - her third child - his first
'He told me she got it when she rolled off the bed.
'Of course I knew she was too young to roll at two-weeks-old but I assumed he had sat her too close to the edge of the bed and she fell when he bounced down next to her,' she said.
The bump was bad enough for Ms Mooney to want to take Paige for a checkup – but she was stopped.
'When I tried to take her to the hospital he put his hand against my throat and said if I left doctors would blame him for the mark and the kids would be taken away.'
The then 22-year-old woman saw her partner hit her baby across the chin 'with three fingers' days later – after swearing at her for crying.
Instead of leaving she tried to keep her baby in another room – so her crying wouldn't aggravate her partner.
Paige was not allowed in public often, Humphreys would sit in the car with her 'with the aircon running' so he could avoid introducing her to people in the small Queensland town.
'My own father never got to meet Paige, neither did any of my friends because they had been pushed out of my life by him. My mum and one of my childhood friends were the only two people outside the house who got to hold her, who met her before she died.'
She never saw him hit her again but the night before the baby girl took her last breaths she notice a hand print on her back.
She said the family keep reminders of the baby all over the house and are glad Humphreys is in jail - even if Ms Mooney is 'angry' over the length of the sentence
'This was the second time I had seen a mark on her, I put her to bed and when I woke up in the morning she wasn't breathing.
'That morning is a blur I tried CPR but she was gone.
'I was still in denial and overwhelmed by grief, I thought she had died from cot death.'
Six weeks later when police knocked on her door all of Humphreys' actions and emotional torment flooded back.
Ms Mooney was told her baby suffered broken vertebrae and ribs, a fractured skull and a bleeding spleen and pancreas prior to death.
She realised her baby had been killed by the man she 'loved' so she left him – and helped police 'get justice' for Paige.
'As soon as I realised I left him, spoke to police and moved from the house.
'I couldn't walk down the hallway or into the next room without thinking 'is that the wall he hit her head on' or thinking about how he had hurt her.'
The mother says the day she found out her daughter had died of horrific injuries was the day her 'life sentence began' and every day has been like being 'stuck in a nightmare'.
Ms Mooney was told her baby suffered broken vertebrae and ribs, a fractured skull and a bleeding spleen and pancreas prior to death
In the four years since Paige died Ms Mooney has had plenty of time to reflect on the months leading up to her baby's death.
From Humphreys' escalating acts during the pregnancy, to the anger directed at her baby during the short time she was at home. Ms Mooney has come to realise she 'didn't keep her safe because she didn't see the signs'.
Since Humphreys' sentence was laid down on Friday Ms Mooney has copped 'online abuse from women who blame her for Paige's death' or 'question her actions'.
'Don't they realise in the four and a half years since Paige was killed I have already blamed myself or wondered why I didn't walk away or see there was a problem.
'We are supposed to be a nation against violence and here are a bunch of mostly women telling me what I should have done.
'He took away my power and cut me off completely, I had no support and I admit I missed the signs.'
Some online comments have openly criticised Ms Mooney because 'they wouldn't have been caught in the same situation if children were involved' but this just saddens the mum.
'He took away my power and cut me off completely, I had no support and I admit I missed the signs,' the mum said
'Everybody is effected differently by these sorts of situations– of course if I knew I would lose my baby I would have left – but I didn't. I didn't think he would hurt her.'
The hurtful posts brought back bad memories from a moment after Paige's death when Ms Mooney was so low she thought about ending her own life.
'I would think about driving my car head-on into a truck but then I would tell myself that is just taking the easy way out.
'I had to remind myself my other kids needed me and mother wouldn't do that.'
Ms Mooney only realised how she was being affected by her ex-partner after they broke up and she started rebuilding her life.
'In hindsight I realise he always made sure I had a reason to go home – he would either be with me everywhere I went or he would have one of my children.' She is now determined to never become a victim again.
'I was a pushover before I lost Paige, but now no one can walk over me.' Part of that healing process happens at home with her new 'amazing' partner and her children.
Whenever the family refers to Paige they drop her last name and call her 'Paige Ella Rose or bubba girl'.
This is because she wants her daughter to be remembered as the 'beautiful baby who loved teddy bears and the sound of her brother's voice' not the victim Humphreys turned her into.
'In my house we call him the 'sperm donor' we don't say he is Paige's father because father's don't hurt their baby's – they don't torture and kill their baby's.' In fact Ms Mooney still can't even look at her ex-partner.
'During the court case I didn't look at his face once – I couldn't bear to see some smug smile all over it.
'If i knew what I know now I would have seen the signs and I would have been able to protect her'
'When I gave my victim impact statement I read to the judge and the floor – and when he was brought in by the prison guards I made sure I turned my head to the floor.'
The death of the 31-day-old baby has had a 'physical and emotional impact' on the whole family, according to Ms Mooney.
'My two older kids, my mum, my current partner – they have all suffered because of him.'
But those loved ones will now have closure.
The parts of Paige's body kept for evidence will now be released to Ms Mooney and her family so they can 'lay her to rest'.
'We will get the rest of her cremated and have a service where we can say goodbye to her properly.
'It has been a long four years and we want to be able to do this.' The service will take place in a park with Ms Mooney's closest friends and family.
Half of the baby's ashes are already kept in a special urn protected by her older sister.
This urn is just one of the daily reminders of Paige in Ms Mooney's life.
'Some of my closest friends had babies at the same time as Paige.
'Watching them grow up has been a blessing - sometimes I even see bits of her in them.
'Other times of course it is a curse.'
Paige would have started kindergarten this year- a milestone not lost on her mother.
But for Ms Mooney's family celebrating Paige's killer being put behind bars and being able to lay the baby to rest is an even bigger milestone they have worked hard to reach.
The parts of Paige's body kept for evidence will now be released to Ms Mooney and her family so they can 'lay her to rest'
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