Thursday 30 June 2022 06:15 AM Michaela Barriball jailed for murdering Malachi Subecz is given one of NZ's ... trends now
A woman has been handed one of the longest jail sentences ever given to a female in New Zealand for the brutal murder of a five-year-old boy.
Michaela Barriball, 27, will spend at least 17 years in prison for the murder of Malachi Rain Subecz, who was beaten, starved, thrown against walls and burnt with scorching hot water.
He weighed just 16kg when he died at Starship Hospital in Auckland on November 12 last year, 11 days after was found injured at a home in Te Puna, 192km south of Auckland.
Barriball is not related to Malachi, but he was put in her care last September after his biological mother was imprisoned.
Malachi Rain Subecz (pictured) weighed just 16 kilograms when he died in hospital after weeks of shocking abuse
Soon after taking Malachi into her care, Barriball started to assault him 'on a daily basis', hitting him in the head, face and body.
The boy would frequently soil himself due to the abuse, which led Barriball to strip him naked and lock him outside or in a car.
She also forced Malachi to stand for long periods and starved him.
On one occasion, Barriball picked the boy up by his hair and threw him against a wall twice, before repeatedly slapping him across the face.
The court also heard that Barriball held Malachi under the water while having a bath, and on another occasion put him in a shower under 73-degree water.
That caused the boy severe burns, including a deep, 13cm blackened injury.
Messages Barriball sent to her partner were also revealed in court.
'You like him more then me yar (sic), that's not fair he's taking everyone from me the ugly f*****,' one said.
'I'm gonna f*** him up badly. Ugly c*** taking my all everyone from my life g.'
